


Keep Your Toes in the Lines

by PinkandRed (LucyRed), Sammykh



Series: Anomaly [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Belly Kink, Chara is an adult, Crossdressing, Crossdressing Kink, Forced Crossdressing, Forced Relationship, Non-Binary Chara, OCs - Freeform, Other, Public Sex, Royal Chara, Sans agreed to this but that doesn't mean he's gonna be happy about it, Soul Sex, Stuffing, Very Dub-con, bback to the naughty stuff mhm i know u were all waitin for it, lil' bit, part 3 here we go, so dub-con it's basically non-con so i tagged it, they/them pronouns, undertum - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-25 18:36:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 67,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7543540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucyRed/pseuds/PinkandRed, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sammykh/pseuds/Sammykh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans is once again working at the castle but with a very different job description.</p><p>Chara is very intent on holding Sans to their deal. Their fascination with him hasn't faded - if anything it only grows worse. Sans just tries to keep his SOUL and sanity held together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Pretense of Good Health

Chara walks through the halls with their chin tilted a bit higher than usual and a subtle smirk that can only be seen in their eyes as they silently gloat their triumph. With Sans reliant on them, they are officially back in control. And now they can continue gathering their data without having to glance over their shoulder, no longer needing to worry about appearing suspicious. 

They enter their study, and begin to write an entry detailing the new arrangement. His hours were the same - 9am to noon. It’s just that this time around he would actually be working. One way or another.

It doesn’t take long for their anger to flare when he doesn’t show up. Chara had been willing to wait a half hour after 9am, very charitably giving him more than enough time (in their opinion) to ‘emotionally recover’. Perhaps he needs to hear Papyrus scream in agony to be reminded about the fine print in their deal.

Gritting their teeth, Chara exits their study and marches down the hall, robe billowing out behind them slightly. Maybe they should just chain him to their bed and keep him there. At least then he wouldn’t wander off. The idea makes them chuckle, and relaxes their anger enough to turn their feet from the training yard of the Royal Guard. No...Sans can take his own punishments. For now, anyways.

Chara looks around in his usual hiding spots, but alas, he is in none of them. So they go back to their study and compose a warning letter addressed to Sans (they kept it Anonymous). They then send a messenger to drop it off in the skeleton’s mailbox. Honestly, they thought that after  _ just  _ having discussed this, Sans would at least  _ attempt  _ to be punctual.

 

Sans had immediately taken himself to the Royal Library the moment Chara had RESET, scouring the shelves for a way to hide his broken SOUL. He can't exactly pretend everything is alright if everyone can sense his fractured psyche. Of course he can’t really just ask around about that sort of thing either...and Chara sure as hell won’t be decent enough to help him. So he’s left on his own, as usual.

“there's gotta be somethin’ here.”  He mutters for the millionth time, paging through an old manuel and shaking his head, “i’m not the first. gotta be someone who came up with a way to hide it.”

Sans rubs at his scalp, looking up and checking the time. 12:01. Welp. Looks like he missed his shift. Chara's fault for giving him only three hours of work. Hell, he'd probably be sleeping through it every day. 9:00 to noon? He was often passed out until 2pm.

“gah.” Sans shoves one book off to the edge of the table, drawing in another and opening it side by side to a magic ‘dictionary’ of sorts. He's been at this for...what, five hours? Papyrus had come into his room around 8am, but he'd woken up  _ immediately  _ after the RESET to come here. There hadn't really been any time to waste, and Sans knew that if Papyrus saw him for even a second he would be able to sense that something was wrong.

And Sans is DETERMINED to keep his brother out of this mess.

“here…” Sans mumbles to himself, something that he's been doing for hours without thought. His scientific side has a particularity for that sort of behavior, especially when he was working without another lab tech. It’s been years, but...old habits die hard.

He gives a loud sigh of relief as he finally pieces together the right information,  “ _ finally _ ...some sorta blend between defensive and illusion magic….makes sense. okaaay, let's give this a try.”  His hand lights up in a blue fire, and he carefully takes out his SOUL, eye flaring up as he holds it still. Delicately he runs a finger along the small crack, eyes narrowed in concentration. He winces and grits his teeth - just touching the break forces him to flash back to the moment of its cause. He can see Chara’s smirking face in front of him, clear as day, and his teeth grind together as he fights to keep himself grounded.

 

The messenger sent by Chara happened to take a path through the library, and upon spotting Sans, immediately approaches him. Quickly hiding his patched SOUL back in his chest as he sees the other monster approaching, Sans takes the letter, only reading the first three words before heading off for Chara's study, lighting up his palm and burning it to ashes. ‘Anonymous’. Sure.

 

He teleports to the small room when the messenger is gone, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at the Prinx’s face with a relaxed but irritated expression,  “feelin’ bonely, Majesty?”  He asks dryly.

“Good one Sans.” Chara turns their gaze up from their journal, folding their arms on top of the desk and looking him in the eye, “I just wanted to remind you of our deal. If you miss another shift, you will be risking your brother’s life.”

“i was busy.”  Sans responds flatly.

“Too busy to ensure your brother’s wellbeing? Fascinating.”

Glaring, Sans summons out his ‘fixed’ SOUL, although it's against every instinct to make himself so vulnerable again to his Breaker,  “opposite. i covered up your damage. now my SOUL won't be screaming ‘torture victim’ at anyone within five feet of me.”

Chara tilts their head, looking over the white heart. It’s like a child has smeared glue over it, barely hiding the deep crevice. However, they can’t sense it anymore. So long as Sans keeps his SOUL physically hidden, no one will be able to tell. “Clever.” They sigh and give a dismissive wave, “I guess you will get a pass for now.”

“yeah, i’d better.” He grumbles, putting the white heart back, “where do you want me to meet you tomorrow.”

“Room 202, 30 minutes after reporting to me in the throne room.” They say with a smirk.

Sans squints at them suspiciously, turning his head slightly to the side,  “..........................fine…” 

Maybe it was a tea room and they'd just chat pleasantly for three hours while maintaining a respect for personal space. 

Ha.

“You may go now.”

Sans gives one final glare before teleporting back to his room, venturing over to go say hello to Papyrus. 

He needs a hug.


	2. Room 202

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He can't avoid it for forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm posting this like 20 minutes after the first chapter but I WANTED TO GIVE U GUYS A LIL SIN and it just wouldn't have flowed right if i'd tried to mash these two together so  
> here u go 2 ch in 1 hr you are weLCOMe

Chara hadn't specified if they wanted him in the throne room 30 minutes  _ before _ 9am, or  _ after _ 9am. So naturally, Sans assumes the latter and wanders into the throne room around 9:32am, casually walking among the workers there and acting like this isn't even his intended destination. He spies the Prinx from the corner of his eyes and his faux grin becomes a bit tighter.

Welp, here comes three hours of absolute  _ hell,  _ he's sure. 

Of course Chara acts like nothing has changed. They still flirt and joke with him while everyone is around. Some of the staff give him ‘knowing’ looks as Chara greets him with a bashful blush and a giggle before hurrying off to...whatever the hell it is that devil spawns like them do when pretending to be a ruler. 

The monsters in charge of his assignments send him to do paperwork, conveniently enough to last 25 minutes. They tease him, of course, commenting not-so-subtly on Chara’s behavior and ‘wondering’ if they might be enamored with a certain someone. He just grins. But the fake grins he gives in return to the giggles and teasing have him clenching his jaw tight enough that his teeth nearly crack. It takes all he has not to rudely snatch the papers away and also burn the whole castle down probably. 

God, isn't  _ one _ type of torture enough? He’d rather they break all his bones than make him play along with this fake flirtation bullshit.

 

Thirty three minutes later he’s almost relieved to trudge out of the throne room, away from the naive castle staff that can’t seem to keep their gossipy mouths shut. He starts teleporting through the halls, grumbling numbers to himself under his breath as he searches for 202. He probably should have located it yesterday but that would have been efficient.

 

Chara waits impatiently. Of course he is late. What else can they expect from him?

There is a tapping at the door, followed by a bored, quietly angry voice,  “knock knock.”

“Who’s there”

“Theodore.”

“Theodore who?”

“Theodore wasn’t open so i knocked.”

“Good one, come on in.”

“seriously it’s locked.”

“You can teleport.”

“yeah but i’m lazy.”

“Better start planning your brothers funeral then~”

_“How about you don't bring him up.”_ Sans suggests in a dark, reverberating tone right next to Chara's head. 

Chara jumps reflexively at his sudden appearance, but then meets his eyes. “How about you do as I say?”

“hey, the deal was that you leave him  _ alone _ .”  Sans reminds, sitting down on the foot of the bed and taking a moment to actually observe his surroundings. 

The room was like the other rooms in the castle. Fancey, comfy, etc. The only differences was Chara’s presence and a silver tray with a bottle of wine and two glasses sat on the end table, reminding him that the atmosphere was supposed to…’romantic’...

“So long as you cooperate with me.” Chara reminds, smiling at him and winking, “So cooperate~”

There’s a good thirty seconds of silence, which gives the sudden awkwardness plenty of time to get worse as Chara looks at him expectantly.

“......uh.”  How did this sort of...thing, go again?  “.......so, uh...the….” Sans shifts his jaw and pats his knees idly,  “....weather, huh?”

“Weather? I had no idea there  _ was _ weather underground. Do tell me more~”

“...shut up.” Sans grumbles, pulling his feet up onto the bed and crossing his arms. 

Chara laughs and starts pouring wine. “Want some?”

“....yeah, no..”  Considering how well that worked out for him last time...

Chara shrugs, and begins to sip at their glass, reclining on the bed. Sans gives a bored sigh and falls to his back, watching the ceiling. 

Another round of awkward silence follows. 

_ Agonizingly  _ awkward silence. 

Chara gets up and pours themselves another glass before speaking up, clearly amused Sans’s obvious cluelessness. “You know, the best way to taste this wine is from my lips.” They say smirking.

“nope.”

They shrug, and hold up an empty glass invitingly.

“nnope.”

“Surely you must be bored just sitting there.”

“beats the alternative.”

“Which is…?”

“slobbering over your face apparently.”

Chara laughs. “Pay no mind to the joke, I needed to say  _ something _ .”

“‘nothing’ is also a pretty solid choice to go with when you’re tryin’ to make conversation with someone that hates every last fiber of your SOUL. free bit of advice there for yah.” 

“Well one of us has to flirt, and it clearly can’t be you.”

“clearly.”  Sans agrees, crossing his arms over his belly and closing his eyes. This is obnoxious, but if sitting around is all he is going to do for the next two and a half hours, he may as well take a nap.

Chara pours themselves another drink, already feeling their mind begin to get fuzzy. They have always been a lightweight, as joked by Asriel. “Sleeping already? Am I really that boring?” They ask him, shifting their position to nudge him slightly.

“shhh i’m praying. don’t be sacrilegious.”  Sans murmurs, frowning and adjusting himself so he isn’t touching them.

“What’s a God to a non-believer?” They question, placing one hand on his arm and taking another drink with the other.

Sans pulls his arm free, sitting up and sighing, “you should probably lighten up on the drinks, pal.”

“Nonsense, there is plenty for both of us.” They say, pouring another glass.

“you’re gonna end up drinking that whole thing by yourself, you know.”

“You want some?” They grab his arm and pull him closer, offering their glass.

Sans feels himself becoming a little nervous with their behavior.  “uh, no. no thanks, i’m good.”

“Here, have some.” They insist, bringing the glass to his face.

Sans pulls his head back, narrowing his eyes,  “i said no thanks, and i meant it.”

“Just  _ drink it _ ...” They grip his arm tighter.

“goddammit, Chara, i said n-”  Sans chokes as his mouth is abruptly forced open and the liquid is poured down his throat. He shoves the Prinx off of him and falls back onto the floor, pushing himself up on his elbows and coughing heavily. Shit, that went straight to his head...

They nearly fall off, but just barely manage to stay on the bed. Once they regain balance, they furiously grab him and yank him back onto the mattress, roughly shoving his shoulders against the headboard. “Don’t you know it is illegal to raise a hand to your Prinx?”

Sans gives a grunt as his back hits the mattress, “a-and forceful drunk...forcing intoxicants down someone's throat isn't?!” He pants, squinting up at Chara as he fights against the drug numbing his mind. It isn’t hard - not like they’d gotten too much into him, at least.

They crawl closer to him, suddenly very sedate. “S’not so bad.” They murmur, smiling.

Sans leans away as much as he can, inching off towards the side,  “h..hey, personal...personal space, huh?”

They grab his arm, holding him in place. “S’not time to leave yet.”

“g-get off of me!”

“Y’should be honored...” They say, doing the exact opposite of his request and pinning his shoulders against the mattress.

Sans squirms beneath them as they straddle his hips, the shorter of the pair struggling to get out from beneath Chara's hands,  “no! no no  _ no  _ you sick  _ freak _ get offa me!”  He screams. 

“Stop moving s’much!” They say, clutching him tighter, frustration evident in their voice.

The tightening grip only helps panic him further, and he thrashes, struggling to throw them off. He has a hard time moving his legs with Chara kneeling on his shins, but he manages to struggle anyway, panting and gasping. 

Suddenly he is against the bedframe, red glowing chains securing his wrists tightly above his head. Sans yelps, trying to pull his arms free from the magic binds. But his struggling is useless - red magic is perhaps the most powerful kind, and Chara is clearly very adept at it, even when drunk. He presses back, his eyes staying fixated on his tormentor. 

Now that he is restrained, they take the opportunity to get another drink, downing it quickly before turning back to Sans.

“You r’incredibly fascinating for an exception. S’many ways t’change a timeline b’cause of you.” They say drunkenly, idly running a finger up and down Sans’s closest arm. 

He grits his teeth, turning his head away and stubbornly ignoring them as best he can. 

“There s’so many new things I can do now to make you react. Th’reason i’m keeping this timeline is for it t’be a testing timeline. I can do w’tever I want~”

“yeah i  _ know _ that. must be nice to be able to  _ control _ that sort of thing.”

“You’ll get boring after a while, still. Everyone is….be limited. Then mayhaps I’ll turn 24. You’ll repeat, n’matter how many times I kill you’r your brother. Even torturing your brother in front of you many times will eventually elicit th’same responses. Jus’because you react differently to timelines doesn't make you completely different, jus’an exception.” They begin to toy with his jacket, possibly trying to take it off but their drunk hands are having trouble cooperating.

Sans snaps his glare to them, grabbing the edge of the headboard and picking himself up just long enough to let him aim a proper kick at Chara's face, _“Don't touch Papyrus!”_ He shouts, eye flaring up in anger in spite of himself. They’re talking about torturing Papyrus like it's already planned for the future, in spite of this deal they have going, and he’s not happy to learn that putting up with this bullshit could all be for nothing. 

The kick knocks them off the bed, in spite of being fairly far from the edge. Granted, only because they are drunk and easily caught off-guard at the moment, but it still makes Sans feel a bit better to hear them thud against the floor. 

Chara stands up, holding their face in their hand and merely looking curious. “Won’t we need a safeword fer that kinda stuff Sans?”

“this isn't foreplay you goddamn  _ freak _ it's a  _ threat!  _ if you so much as touch my brother  _ i’ll make your life a living hell _ !”

“Your eye glows when you’re angry. I wonder wha t’would happen f’I destroy it?” They say, crawling back onto the bed.

Sans pulls his head away from them, “don't you even fucking  _ try _ .” He growls. 

“I also wonder f’I would be able t’take you apart. Or your brother. Can skeletons be taken apart without death?” They trace their finger on the joint at his elbow, pondering.

“does it matter how i answer? you're going to do it anyway.” Sans says dryly, teeth clenching,  “but you know what. go ahead and try. i’d rather be ripped to pieces than…” Sans huffs, looking away and glaring at the mattress. So fucked up, so damn fucked up...

“Than what?”

“than  _ this. _ ”

“Whatever, y’think many things. Here.” They pour another glass of wine, and hold it up to his mouth. “Relax a lil’.”

Sans is surprisingly cooperative and takes a large sip...before promptly spitting it back out into Chara's face,  “there. that taste better from  _ my _ lips, huh?”  Sans laughs, although it slowly fades out as Chara looks up at him,  “...eheh…..heh..”

He...may have made a mistake. 

Their glare becomes downright predatory. They wordlessly raise an electrified hand and place it on his sternum, the voltage mercilessly high.

Sans  _ screams _ . He doesn’t know how else to react to the overwhelming feeling of ecstasy that's being forced on him. Only once the sensation fades does he recognize that his back is arched as he goes limp, and that his tongue is hanging out from his mouth as he pants, trying to catch his breath.  “ghh...hhn…. _ hhf _ ..” 

“There,  _ now  _ y’seem relaxed.” They laugh drunkenly, stroking magic-free fingers along his ribs and pushing his jacket out of the way. 

Sans shuts his eyes, weakly trying to pull back.  “ngh…”  He can't get himself to say anything intelligible. His brain wants out of this situation, but his body is craving more of that feeling, and he's finding himself equally torn. That's distressing in and of itself. 

“Want more Sans?” They tease, sending a quick shock to one of his ribs.

_“nngh!”_ Sans jolts, drawing in his knees and shutting his eyes, “...s-stop it..” He whispers. It sounds more like a plea than a demand. He doesn't want to give in. Not to this monster.

“What wazzat?” They slur, smirking and sending another shock to his rib.

_“hnngh! hfff..”_ Sans gasps, feeling sweat trickle down his flushed cheekbones, “i...i-i said s-stop…” He whimpers, sounding less sure of himself. 

“N’why would I wanna do that?” They move a hand to his hipbone, tracing a finger along it.

Sans stiffens, immediately drawing his legs in, “d-don’t..”

Within seconds, his legs are forced down and held by red magic as Chara sends a shock into his hip. Immediately his bones lock up, as always, and his hips push out for a moment before he regains himself, giving a choked gasp and panting heavily. 

“Enjoying yourself?” They ask, slipping his shorts down an inch, revealing more of his hip.

Sans ducks his chin against his collarbone, breathing through his teeth and shivering. He tries to pull himself together, tries to numb himself to what's happening, but his reasoning is being shoved further and further away into the back of his mind. He can feel his SOUL trembling in his chest. He's hyper-aware of every move Chara's fingers make.

“just....get it over...with..” Sans groans, curling in his toes and giving a huff of air to try and cool the burning in his face. 

“M’not gonna break your SOUL again. Jus’have a little fun issall.” They trace their finger along his hipbone, to where it connects to his spine, giving random jolts of electricity. Sans jerks each time, letting out increasingly shakier breaths. He can get through this he can it's  _ not that hard just keep it together- _

“..mmph..”

Chara flips him over, and suddenly he is face first into the pillow. He can feel them pulling up his shirt. His breathing gets harsher, but he doesn't fight. He can't summon enough will.  “guh...n-n..s..st-stop…”  Sans wheezes, forcing his eyes open and staring at the pillow, trying to ground himself.

He feels a sparked finger trailing down his spine. 

“ _ hnn! ghh..mm.. _ mmph..”  Sans goes limp against the mattress.

‘.... _ this isn't so bad….’  _ Treacherous thoughts whisper, trying to pull him away from rationalization,  _ ‘it's not, it's…’  _ Sans grits his teeth,  _ ‘it's  _ Chara _ it's not fucking okay!’  _

Of course, with the way his body is reacting, it would seem like it's more than okay...ugh. Sans shifts his head so it's sideways on the pillow, his tongue lolling out from his mouth as he stares at the wall with glazed eyes.

After a few minutes, everything stops, and Sans turns to see Chara has passed out, leaving him chained up in their magic in the most uncomfortable position he’s ever held in his life.

“.........are you fucking kidding me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH AND BEFORE I GO AND FORGET LIKE A DINGLEFLUMBUS  
> Sam and I have been toying with the idea of a tumblr ask blog for our two stories (I might respond to Merciless/GD asks too if I get them) in which the readers can send questions and get little drawn out responses  
> I'm only gonna do it if I get at least five ppl voting yes tho bc that's a huge pledge for me to make since I'll be doing all the drawing  
> but YEA just like Yay/Nay/Idgaf thanks toodles noodles~


	3. Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans isn't one to take things lying down.  
> Okay, well, he is...but on the occasions that he's awake, he doesn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL I apparently went and cursed myself by going 'lel this ask blog won't get any attention' bc  
> sigh i gUESS im not complaining it's really cool that there's enough people (or one creepy anon xp) that show interest in these sin fics.  
> and i got to draw muzzled sans lol so im not complaining  
> hellish-anomaly.tumblr.com in case i didnt post that yet  
> anywho here we go

Chara wakes hours later, and feeling their hangover, decide that nothing is worth getting up for at the moment. Keeping their eyes closed, they attempt to fall back asleep.

“hey. i’m feelin’ a little tied down at the moment.” Sans says dryly.  “you wanna be a pal and help me out of this?”  He's shifted so he's on his knees with his forehead to the headboard, but his back is still forced into an awkward position by the magic chains that stupidly didn't disappear when Chara passed out.

Chara groans sourly as the bindings disappear with a wave of their hand, not even bothering to open their eyes. Sans collapses onto the mattress with a pained groan, slowly sitting up and cracking his neck and back before pulling down his shirt and hoodie. 

“Can you do that any quieter? Thanks.” Chara snaps, as all the noise Sans is making is going straight to their migraine.

He glares back at them, popping one more joint out of spite, and slamming the door as he leaves, as loudly as he can. What are they going to do, chase after him? Not with a hangover, that's for certain. 

They flip off the closed door, but they remain in the bed for a while, mentally cursing themselves for drinking so much.

 

Sans returns to his room after checking in with Papyrus and assuring him that he has gotten his job done for the day. He doesn’t stay to chat. Sans doesn’t really want anyone looking at him right now, not even his brother. 

When he checked the clock it was 2pm, and so he'd even ‘worked’ overtime. Fucking little shit...he was going to have to put his foot down about alcohol on his ‘shift’. His back is killing him….well. Time to do what he does best.

Sans flops into his bed, rolls up in the blankets, and promptly falls asleep. 

 

Sans keeps his distance. 

He stays in his room whenever he can, hating the looks he gets from those who saw him following after Chara his first day at ‘work’.. They all think it's hilarious and adorable. Who would have thought that the Prinx would take interest in someone like Sans, after all?

He sighs, sitting back against the hallway wall as 9am approaches on the following day, rubbing at his eye sockets. Well. He hadn't either, to be fair. Though he is much less amused than they are, because he knows what their precious ruler is really like.

Sans doesn't leave his room without his hoodie drawn up over his head, anymore. All those stares are killing him. The reality of his and Chara's ‘relationship’ is humiliating enough on its own without overhearing gossip and rumors full of ‘I think’s and ‘what if’s.

Ugh...people can’t leave well enough alone. 

 

“Sans, there you are!” Chara greets as Sans enters the throne room the next day. “I have got a lot of paperwork I need filled out.” They hand him a stack, and as they do so send a small, pleasurable shock to his hands.

“yeah whatever sure thing bos- _ gahah _ !” Sans slaps a hand over his mouth as everyone in the room turns to stare at him, raising their eyebrows at his flushed face.  _ Shit _ . 

“Something the matter Sans?” Chara says, smirking. He merely glares at them and storms out, cheeks still burning a bright blue. This fucking asshole…

 

The work takes him into overtime. Way past the designated hours, even without him  _ trying _ to be as slow as possible. Probably the shit Chara had to do the day before and neglected because they’d gotten themselves piss drunk….

Shaking his head, Sans drops the rest of the stack on the library desk that he's taken to for his work. He leans back in his seat, running his hands down his face and groaning. Somehow this will be  _ his _ fault, probably. 

“Got those papers done?” Chara asks as they enter the library.

“no.” Sans replies, moving his glare from the tabletop to their eyes. He feels a shiver go down his spine as he does so. 

They smirk. “Well, you are staying until it’s finished. Don’t worry, you are getting paid for your overtime.”

Sans gives a grin back that's so seemingly genuine it's  _ biting _ ,  “thanks boss.”  Sans says, sitting back and giving a lazy wink, left eye open, “really appreciate it.”

They wink back, and pat his shoulder, sending a stronger spark into than last time him. “Glad to help.”

_“shit!”_ Sans falls out of his chair in such a comical manner that he _has_ to laugh, although all the rage coupled with it makes him sound insane.  “hhhahaha...th-that’s...that was a bit of a ‘shocker’, huh?! kff...r-really just made me ‘f-fall head over heels for ya’, there! hahah...guess my pride really got ‘unseated’ this time!” Sans wheezes against the floor, unable to pick himself up at first, laughing too hard, “hff...y-you...you've got a r-real _electrifying_ personality, ya know that?! s-so...j-just..” He's out of puns. “s-so _fucking hilarious! so much that it_ Hertz!” Ah, nope. One more left in him. He shifts to his seat, leaning against a bookshelf and wheezing, gasping in air when he can and trembling. 

Chara gives an amused laugh, reaching an arm out to help him up. “Need a hand?”

He waves their help away, still cackling. The few patrons in the library turn to look at him, giving concerned half-smiles. He doesn't even care. 

“Well, finish today’s work and I’ll see you in the morning.” Chara says, smirking as they walk out of the library, winking at some of the staff with a grin on their face.

Sans points both fingers at them as they go, grin wavering as he fights to keep his eye from flaring up. He hates them he hates them he  _ hates them so much _ …

Eventually he gets back into his seat, turning his focus back to the paperwork. Some of the other castle workers start to approach him, but the smile he gives them when he looks up to greet them….there’s something about the way it makes his eyes look that makes them stop, give a nervous wave, and retreat. For such a small, funny monster, Sans can be absolutely terrifying sometimes, in the strangest ways.

Chara grins to themselves as they wrote in their notebook. Sans’s reaction was unexpected, but highly amusing. They wonder what other reactions they can get from him. This is easily their favorite timeline.

 

All the laughter has left Sans by morning. He keeps up a smile long enough to bid Papyrus good-bye before he heads off to morning training, but the facade of happiness promptly drops when his brother is out of sight. Pulling his hoodie up, Sans makes his way to the throne room. He takes a seat on the floor in the back of the room, hands in his pockets and head turned down to his lap. People are probably questioning his behavior. Anyone that saw him last night probably thinks he’s going insane. They probably think him and Chara are going through some sort of ‘rough patch’ in the fairy-tale type romantic relationship that they’ve fantasized about.

He doesn’t care. He really...really doesn’t.

 

“Sans?” Chara asks, standing before him and offering a hand. “Don’t you think you should get to work?”

“haven’t been given anythin’ to do.”  He mumbles in reply, keeping his eyes down and ignoring their hand. 

Chara smirks. “If you are not feeling up to working today, I’ll let you have a sick day.”

“at what cost.” Sans asks under his breath. Nothing ‘nice’ from Chara ever comes free.

“A day of total cooperation.”

“and what’s that look like, huh?” He continues to keep his voice too low for anyone else but Chara to hear.

“You’ve got an imagination. You tell me~”

Sans gives a shudder and loosely hugs his torso, looking away,  “...i don’t know.”

“I see. Well, do you accept or not, because there is five hours worth of paperwork waiting for you if you decide to stay.”

_ Five hours _ ?!

Sans shuts his eyes and ducks his head, “.....i’ll...i’ll take the..the sick day.”

“Are you sure? Because there is no going back~”

“i…”  How can he possibly explain the nightmares he had? The restlessness, the constant waking up on the floor, tangled in the covers and frantically trying to fight free because he thought he was in that dungeon again? The energy used up fighting to keep his crying silent to avoid waking up Papyrus? The burning of his death scars as he relived his brutal murders again and again?  “....i can’t work today. i just can’t.”

“It’s a deal then, Sans.” Chara says, holding out their hand once again.

Keeping his eyes down, Sans reaches up and accepts the what he’s sure seems to be a friendly gesture to any onlookers, “...yeah.”

The way their eyes light up makes Sans feel queasy, “Excellent. Go and get some rest now, Sans. You'll need it for tomorrow~” They giggle, more than happy to allow the court to ‘overhear’ their remark as they walk away.

Sans slowly gets up and shuffles out, back towards his room, ignoring the smiles and laughter. He's too tired to care. They'll all think whatever Chara wants them to think. There's nothing he can do about it, so why bother wasting any of his small supply of energy worrying about it?

He collapses onto the mattress when he reaches his room, not bothering to put his head on a pillow, or to untangle his sheets. Sans simply pulls off his jacket and shirt and shuts his eyes. Tomorrow is going to be a very, very long day...

 

The next morning, Chara gave Sans an hour’s worth of paperwork under the instruction to go to room 202 when he finished. Sans just nodded before sitting down and working through it silently. No nightmares, but dread kept him quiet until he handed in the last statistic report and made his way to the right wing of the castle.

 

He waits in front of the door for a moment, shifting on his feet before taking in a breath and knocking. He tries to think of a good joke to open with.

“..uh...kn...knock knock…”

“Who is there~?”

“.....Al..”

“Al who?”

Is he  _ really _ going to do this? “........Al give ya a kiss if you open the door.”  Sans shuts one eye and winces, curling up his hands into his pockets at the laughter he hears. 

The door opens, and Chara is standing there, smirking. “Well when you put it that way.”

“heh…” Sans gives a nervous grin and rubs the back of his head, “...so, uh...what's up..”

“The ceiling I presume.” 

“heh...good one..” Sans swallows and looks away. “...can i come in?”

“Yes you can.” Chara steps aside from the door, shrugging out of their top robe. “Last time it got mussed.” They explain as they hang it up, then relax on the bed.

Sans rolls his eyes to the side,  “uh-huh….uhm...sorry..?” He steps inside, hesitating before closing the door behind him. 

“You said something about a kiss?” Chara said, smirking as they sit up and move to the edge of the bed.

Yep. That was definitely a thing he'd done to himself.  “..y….y-yeah.” Sans steps in a bit closer. Well their height is sort of almost equal when they're sitting down...stupid prinx and their long-ass legs...or stupid him and his short ass legs. Either way, Sans was sure his height (or lack thereof) hadn't been as much a cause of anxiety until recently.

He forces himself to sit next to them,  “uh...not...sure how that'll work, with me not having..well. lips…”

“You can open your mouth can you not? “ They say, grinning.

“...yeah…”  Vulkin has taken up permanent residence on his face apparently. Why the fuck else would it be on fire? 

“Well? Are you just going to sit there blushing at me?” Chara says, amused.

Probably.  “...h..h-how about you lead again..”

“ _ You _ are the one who suggested kissing me.” 

“that was a knock knock joke.”

“Sounded more like a deal to me.”

“...u-uh…”  Sans looks away, breathing out a harsh breath and curling up his fists tighter in his pockets. He is so, so nervous and unsure and uncomfortable…  “...u-uh..”

“Go on, nothing to be shy about.” Chara prompted reassuringly, amused at his hesitation. 

Shutting his eyes, Sans turns his head towards Chara, leaning in.

“You do know that the slow motion shit is only in the movies right?” Chara says, dropping their formal tone, having become slightly impatient.

Sans pulls down his hood over his face, groaning in embarrassment and falling back,  _ “i don't know what i’m doing.”  _

Chara laughs. “It’s alright. I’ll lead. I just wanted to have a bit of fun.” They smirk, then cup a hand on his cheekbone, and leans in, gently pulling him forward as well. There is that familiar jolt of electricity as their lips connect to his mouth. Sans’s eyes open wide and his teeth part, tongue pressing against Chara's lips. His face burns blue and he can't stop staring right at them. 

They open their mouth, allowing his tongue entry, and teasing his mouth with theirs. They wrap their free arm around his waist.

_ “mmmph!” _ Sans isn't quite sure where his brain went, because if he was using it he certainly wouldn't be grabbing onto their shoulders right now. 

It took all of Charas willpower not to grin mid-kiss, from Sans immediately getting into it. They hand holding his cheek moves to the back of his head to deepen the kiss, with a small moan of their own. The skeleton starts to close his eyes, pushing his upper body up to get closer.

_ ‘what the fuck am i doing what the fuck Sans pull yourself together fucking…’ _

He gives a quiet moan, going limp in Chara's arms. 

They remove their arms from behind him,and push him onto his back slowly, so as not to disrupt the kiss, until they are leaning over him completely. Then, shifting weight onto one arm, they bring their free hand in between them to his sternum, and drags an electrified finger up, toying with him.

“ _ ghh _ ! hhn..hnn…” His back arches and he gasps, clinging tightly to Chara's arms and pulling his head back,  “ _ khh _ ..w-wait, n..no th-this.. _ w-wait _ ..!”

Chara removed their hand, and broke the kiss, but still stayed within inches of his mouth. “What’s wrong?”

“this...i..” Sans shuts his eyes,  “..i c..i c-can’t..” He chokes,  “you're…” Sans pushes back, scrambling back against the headboard and holding his hands over his SOUL. He's started shaking, and his pupils are shrunk.

“I see.” They back off and rest on their knees, giving him a few moments for himself, having learned their lesson last time.

Sans ducks his head, giving a strangled laugh,  “you...you're my  _ Breaker _ , i shouldn't...shouldn't be anywhere  _ near you _ .”

Chara smirks. “And yet here you are.”

Sans glares at them, moving himself to the side and letting his legs dangle over the edge of the mattress, “only because i don't have a  _ choice _ .”

“You are here today of your own volition. You let me kiss you with no resistance, you almost kissed me.”

“i’m only here to keep my brother safe!”  Sans snaps,  “do you know how much it  _ hurts _ just to be near you?!”

“Sounded like you were enjoying it to me.”

“yeah i respond to stimuli, shocker.”

“Would you be more comfortable doing it to me?”

Sans looks back at them with an expression of disgust and hatred. As though he'd  _ want  _ to touch this piece of filth.

Chara sighs. ”Fine, hand me my robe.”

Sans looks away,  “...hm. on second thought..” He shifts to face them, “...how much of a masochist are ya, Majesty?”

Chara met his gaze, surprised, and smirking. “Well, not as much as I am a sadist, but I have been known to sub from time to time. Why do you ask?”

Sans shrugs loosely, watching them with half-lidded eyes that seem to be looking at them in an almost...seductive manner?  “i wanted to try somethin’..”

“What is it you want to try?” They ask, curious to his change of mood.

“ah, it'd be no fun if i had to tell ya.” Sans shakes his head, resting back on one hand.  “i just need a yes or no.”

“Nothing too extreme. But yes, I guess so.” They shrug, relaxing against the bed.

Sans grins, his eye lighting up, “ _Let's hope our definitions of extreme aren't too different.”_ Sans snaps his fingers and Chara finds themselves pinned back against the headboard in the same uncomfortable position Sans had been left in before. Just with blue bonds, and the added bonus of a gag. “tada.” Laughing, Sans gets off the bed, “welp. i think i’m gonna take an early day. that sound alright, boss?” He asks as he backs up towards the door, hands in his pockets as he keeps up his smug grin. 

_ “Mmmph!?” _ That  _ fucking skeleton _ . They struggle uselessly against the bonds, even trying to undo them with their own magic, to no avail.  _ “Mmmph!” _ They can’t even work their mouth around the gag. They angrily thrash against the magic.  _ That fucking bastard! _

He can't help but laugh more, “ _tibia_ honest, i didn't think it'd be so easy ta trick yah. i thought it'd take more than a little low-tone talking and bedroom eyes to grab you off guard.” Sans shrugs, sockets blackening as he looks up at them again, “ _Guess you shouldn'ta underestimated your weak little skeleton toy, huh?_ welp..” Sans leans back against the door, “as much of a _bonding_ experience this has been for the two of us, you seem a little _tied up_ , not to mention my little trick has left you _speechless._ Takin’ all that into consideration, i guess i should leave you be since you've been so nice as to gimme some time off. wouldn't wanna get _roped_ into your little situation over there.” Sans steps out, popping his head back in for a moment, “oh yeah don't worry those should fade in about 120 minutes. so just try and enjoy your time out, alright? an overgrown brat like you is way overdue for one anyway.”

And with that final insult, Sans shuts the door and disappears.

They are left struggling angrily, trying to call out to him against the gag, all but in vain. They are more thankful than frustrated at the remote location of the room. No one to see them like this. They groan as the awkward position they have been forced to hold starts to take its toll. They continue to strain against the binds, but they don't even budge. That _ fucking skeleton  _ will pay for this. 

 

He's going to be in huge trouble. Sans knew that from the moment he decided to do something as stupid as tricking Chara into letting him out of ‘work’ early (not to mention chaining them up with magic that they hadn't even known he had), but considering how...intimate that situation was getting, and not just physically…

No. He had to do  _ something _ . Even if that something was really really dumb.

Ignoring his problems has always been a talent for Sans, however, and he managed to have a good day with Papyrus. He’d gone to watch him train with Undyne, not holding back on showing his pride in his brother’s skills. The excited smile that his praise put on Papyrus’s face was infectious. Little moments like that were what could make him forget about the fracture in his SOUL. What could make him feel whole again, just for a bit.

Eventually the sun went down, however. Chara’s ‘time out’ had ended several hours ago, but he wasn’t surprised that there was no sign of the prinx. Someone as proud as Chara was going to need some time to stew and regain their composure before they could go out in public again without risk of breaking someone’s neck just because it happened to be there. Wisely, Sans decided to sleep in Snowdin for the night.

He invited Papyrus for a ‘sleepover’ of sorts, and they stayed up watching re-runs of Papyrus’s favorite Mettaton episodes until even the energetic skeleton passed out from exhaustion. Sans was, as usual, right behind him in that pattern of unconsciousness, his chin resting comfortably on top of his younger brother’s skull until dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> snrksnrksrnkr


	4. Allow Me to Remind You Who Is In Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara gives Sans a good reason to never pull a stunt like that again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some nice, clean, good-old-fashioned torture <3

“What happened to cause your muscles this much damage?”

Thank God Sirona is a good masseuse...they don’t know how they’ll survive today otherwise. 

Chara is lying facedown on their doctor’s exam table as she works all the accumulated tension out of their sore muscles. “So, how are the kids?” Chara asks, making small talk and avoiding the subject as they fight the urge to fall asleep.

Sirona shoots them a curious and suspicious glance, to which Chara shrugs off with a sheepish grin. “Mari changed her major again, It appears she is studying magic scientifically now. Jay got accepted into South Capital University, but they don’t know what they want to do. We discovered that Kennie’s magic is healing based, so I won’t have to wait for a grandchild to succeed me.” 

Chara listened on as the pain melted from their muscles. They don’t even realize that they have zoned out until Sirona calls out their name and helps them up.

“Thank you Sirona, I don’t know what I would do without you. “

“No problem Chara, and take care of yourself.” 

“I will.”

The clock strikes 8:30 am. 

“I have got business to attend to now. I will see you later and tell the kids I said hi.” Chara leaves the clinic and heads back into the castle, sitting on their throne and waiting for the second the clock hits 9.

 

As tempting as it is to show up late, Sans decides he shouldn't push his luck today and strolls in at 9:00am, looking fairly relaxed in spite of knowing he is deeply boned. 

“Sans, I am issuing a claim on your part of the deal we made a few days back.”

Sans closes one eye, “oh yeah?”

“You say that skeptically. Why the disbelief?”

Sans raises his hands and shrugs, “hey, who am i to argue?”  His fingers slip back into his pockets as always,  “you're the boss, and i’m too lazy to give a crap.” Sans pauses, “...what was the deal again?”

“Your day off, for a day completely obedient to me”

Sans frowns, “but i…” He stops and looks down at the ground, chuckling, “lemme guess. you ‘never specified which day’, right?”

Chara grins. “Precisely.”

He gives a humorless smile,  “should’ve known a piece of shit like you would pull a shit move like that.”

“Well there are many things that were done that we regret.” Chara smirks, obviously planning something. 

Sans feels his sins crawl down his back.

He stubbornly keeps his fear off of his face,  “yeah, well, you got three hours.”  Sans checks his non-existent watch,  “tick tock, Majesty.”

Chara smirks. “Follow me.” They get off their throne, and make their way out of the throne room. Sans shuffles after, not bothering to keep too much of a distance. Yeah, he was getting more looks for it. Whatever. That wasn't going to stop any time soon anyway, even if he was a mile behind them. 

They enter the abandoned part of the castle and step right up to the dungeon door, getting out the keys to unlock it. Sans’s eyes widen and he takes a step back, pupils shrinking and breathing turning shallow as he has flashbacks of his memories down in that dark pit. He can't go back he can't go back  _ he can't he can't _ -

They unlock it and open the door wide, smirking all the while. “Enter.”

His legs are trembling and his feet are glued to the floor although he tries to comply. His SOUL shudders in fear, recognizing his proximity to the site of his breaking. 

He doesn't move. 

“Enter.” They repeat, leaning against the door. “Remember our deal?”

“t-total...t-total c-cooperation..”

“Exactly. And if you want me to honor my word, I suggest you honor yours.”

Swallowing, Sans forces himself to move forward, arms absently crossing tightly over his torso in a gesture of self-comfort.

Chara follows closely behind, directing him to the designated torture room. He follows their lead, trying to keep his trembling to a minimum as he drags his feet along. This isn't going to be good.

“Rule number one, don’t muffle yourself. I want to hear every single noise you have the urge to make. Now, press yourself up against the wall, hands above your head, and don’t move.”

Sans gives a wordless nod, putting his shoulders to the brick and raising his arms up, crossed over his head. He keeps his eyes down. 

Chara walks slowly up to him, grinning, drawing out the anticipation. Sans grows increasingly tense at every step nearer. He holds his breath, pressing back against the wall as if trying to melt into it. He fucked up he fucked up he fucked up  _ so bad _ ...

He sees sparks start protruding from their hand, and they slowly raise it, till it's inches from him. Chara chuckles.

Alright...more of... _ this _ , then. Fine. He can take it. Just...he can’t keep quiet, this time. He manages a small, nervous grin. “...h-heh…”

Suddenly, they grab his arm with the electrified hand, but instead of pleasure as he was expecting, it’s pain.

_“GAH! nnnghh!”_ In spite of his efforts, he can’t keep his arms raised and collapses to his knees, holding the injured spot and panting. “...sh-shit……….s-sorry..”

“Oh dear, you failed to follow instructions. Now, how should I punish you?”

Sans figures his best bet is to not answer that question. He shakily gets back to his feet, pressing against the wall again but shrinking in on himself and clinging his arm to his chest.

“Are you not going to answer me?” They ask, crossing their arms.

“...i….i-i d-don’t know……….do wh-what you want…”

“I want you to pick your punishment.”

“you could...just hit me..?”

“You think I’ll let you off that easily? No. However I can break one of your bones. And you can choose which one~”

Broken bones were the  _ worst  _ thing, no no no- “how about a kiss?”  He blurts out, not really knowing  _ why _ that was the second best option to come to mind.

Chara smirks at his attempt to turn the direction of the torture, chuckling, “Nah, I like my idea better. Hurry up, choose which bone I ought to break.”

“you...y-you  _ really _ don’t know how...h-how much that hurts, y-y’know? seems...seems a bit...b-bit extreme, d-don’tcha think?”

“Well, considering you didn’t follow orders, you are lucky I haven’t suggested going after your brother.”

Sans’s eyes flares up and he grits his teeth, arms falling to his sides and fists curling up, _“Don’t mention Papyrus!”_ How many times has he given this warning? Too many.

“And you are resisting my orders. Now pick a bone.”

Clenching his jaw, Sans gives them his palm,  “left pinky.” 

They clutch his hand, trailing the chosen finger lightly with their fingers, before grasping it tightly, and bending it till it snaps.

“ _ gah!  _ gh…” Sans collapses back to his knees, shutting his eyes tightly and holding his hand. Shit shit shit shit  _ shit that hurts _ … “..hhff...o-okay...okay, okay…” He slowly gets back up, one eye staying shut,  “i see how it’s gonna be. alright.”

“Against the wall, hands above your head. Remember, don’t move~”

He gives a weary nod and lifts his hands back up, keeping his arms low enough to avoid pulling up his shirt too far. “yeah, yeah...fine. Whatever.”

“Wait.” Chara puts a finger to their chin, grabbing his arm and pulling it back down, “Remove your shirt.”

Sans’s face flushes blue and he curls in his fists, “wh…” Groaning, he pulls off his jacket and then his shirt.  “alright, glad i ‘got that off my chest’ and all but-” He’s cut off as Chara yanks him back into the jacket, holding him by the collar and smiling.

“Leave the hoodie on, though~”

Sans stares at them, and then slowly steps back out of their hands and puts his arms back up against the wall.  _ ‘why me…’ _

Smirking, they begin to trace their fingers along his sternum. Sans shivers, shutting his eyes and holding his breath, subconsciously trying to keep himself quiet, as usual. He  _ had _ been expecting pleasure, but with those last few stunts...he braces himself for pain. At least it doesn’t fuck with his head as much. Torture is something he’s used to (more than any monster should be), and he’s been through a fair amount of that. Readjusting isn’t as easy as he had hoped, however. After weeks of being Chara’s latest…’experiment’, he’s grown too accustomed to their touch being more along the lines of….nice?

Nevermind all the pain they’ve caused him in the past. It isn’t like these last timelines have been his first spent in a dungeon. Usually he shared the space, though, as Chara had thrown random monsters down there rather constantly during their reigns of hell. He typically lasted a few days longer than most prisoners, probably because he didn’t draw too much attention to himself. But now he’s alone, and he’s dealing with more attention than he ever would have liked to have.

Cue the painful electricity. With their other hand, however, Chara traces his hipbone.

_ “kff!  _ nngh…”  Sans quickly ducks his chin, fighting to keep his arms over his head and his voice silent at the same time.

“Are you muffling yourself? Sans, you are breaking rule number one, shall I break another finger?”

“sh-shit…”  Sans lets out a harsh breath through his teeth, drawing his shoulders up,  “i-i forgot, i-i’m s-sorry…”

“You didn't answer my question. Shall I break another finger?”

“nngh...p-please d-don’t..” Sans tenses, struggling to keep his eyes open as Chara’s finger continues tracing his sternum.  “i-i w-won’t h-happen- _ guh... _ -h-happen again..” He gasps, his chin dropping as Chara’s finger reaches his collarbone. 

They send a jolt of painful electricity into his bones.

_ “g-gah! hnn...ghh.. _ hff..” Sans nearly drops his arms again as they begin to become weary from holding the position.  “..c..c-can you just...ch-chain me up or something…”  He can’t believe he’s asking this...

They ignore his request, sending the shocks into both his shoulders. But this time it’s a jolt of unexpected pleasure and Sans yelps in surprirse. Their intentions of making him drop again work and he falls back to his seat, shivering and pulling the folds of his jacket together.  “gh...h-heh...th-that’s...ch-cheating…”

“Bone of your choice.” Chara smirks as they look at him expectantly.

Sans shakes his head to try and snap himself out of the daze he’s just been put into, “...huh..wh-what’d...y-you s-say somethin’?”

“Which bone do you want me to break?”

The half-smile on his face quickly disappears and he lowers his eyes,  “.............................uh...an...a-another finger, i guess…”

“Hold out your hand then.”

Sighing, Sans holds out an arm, shutting one eye,  “you uh...j-just let me know when it’s my turn to say ‘i do’...h-heh…”

Chara gives an amused look, then takes his ring finger, and snaps it. “Not anytime soon I'm afraid.”

_ “AHH! ghhh!  _ ……...h-heh…” Sans sits back, shutting both eyes and forcing a grin,  “w-worth a shot…”

While Sans is recovering, Chara gets what looks like a collar from a hook on the wall. “Put this on.”

He squints at them,  “...seriously…”

Chara snickers. “Despite what you think, it serves more of a purpose than looking pretty.”

Sighing, Sans grumpily snatches the collar from them,  “whatever. just because you don’t admit to something doesn’t mean you don’t- _ GAHHH!”  _ Sans falls forward as he snaps it around his neck, bracing himself up with his hands as his entire body shakes, his magic being repressed and weakening his body. He gasps, breathing through his teeth and trembling. “ghh! wh-what…”  He weakly reaches up to try and tug it off, and is immediately zapped for it, knocking him back to the ground.

“You like? They are kind of ancient, since the dungeons are rarely used anymore. But it’s a magic suppressor. I have a better one for later though.”

“kkhff..nngh…” Sans struggles to push himself back to his knees,  “th-this...th-this is  _ barbaric _ ..!”

“Well, after witnessing first hand at how powerful your magic is, I think I am justified in this. Don’t you agree?”

_ “you did the same thing to me! _ ”  Sans yells, sitting back against the corner and holding a hand over his SOUL,  “can’t take your own medicine?!”

Red chains materialize around his wrists and Sans is forced back into position, “It would serve you well not to raise your voice at me. I am of higher authority than you.”

Sans shudders under the effect of the collar and the magic restraints,  “h-heh...you t-talk a big game n-now that i can’t fight b-back, huh?”

“When have I not?”

Sans wheezes out a laugh,  “yesterday.” He reminds with a smug smile.

They clench their fists and grab his throat, sending almost overwhelming waves of painful electricity into him. 

He gives a strangled scream, and after several seconds, “ _ stop stop stop stop i’m sorry stop stop STOP IT PLEASE!” _

“Why should I?” They say, gritting their teeth angrily, ignoring Sans’s pleas to stop.

_ “IT HURTS CHARA PLEASE I’M SORRY!” _

“I know it hurts, Sans.  _ That’s why I'm doing it!” _

Well, that sort of logic can’t be argued with. 

Seeing that there’s no option of MERCY, Sans shuts up with the pleading and occupies his voice with screaming instead, at least alleviating some of the pain. By the time Chara finally draws back, he goes completely limp in the binds holding him, shaking and breathing shallowly.

Yep. That had  _ definitely _ hurt. In case he’d had any reservations on  _ that _ conclusion.

They look furious, and once Sans catches his breath, they start up again, this time even more painful. Sans looks up to see the sparks on their fingers, shutting his eyes and weakly shaking his head, whispering out a  “p-please no..” on a ragged breath. He can’t do that again he just  _ can’t _ …

But their fingers lock around his neck again, and he’s left with no choice but to suffer through it.

 

They let him go, waiting for him to catch his breath again. It has been two hours of the same thing, over and over. Chara delights each time they see a bit more desperation in his gaze. Perhaps he can be coerced into another deal. They charge up their hand threateningly and smirk as the last of their anger vanishes.

Sans winces and gives a sob, begging for his HP to drop and let him die. He can't take this. Even though he's sure it's useless, he whimpers out another barely audible  “please no”. He has to keep trying. There's nothing else he can do. 

“Would you rather something else?” Chara asks, stepping closer.

He tenses for a second but his aching bones can't stay stiff. Sans nods,  “a-anything e-else...p-please..”

“Anything, you say?” 

Sans nods weakly, shutting his left eye again. Several times he's instinctively tried to call forth his magic to help him escape, each time only causing the collar to hurt him more and more. The socket has gone completely black. He can't even see out of it anymore. 

“How about a kiss then?” They grin as they echo his earlier request, chuckling, “For a beginner you are one of the better kissers I've met.”

With effort Sans raises his head, looking at them a moment before nodding again. Chara’s electrified hand fizzles out, and Sans breathes a sigh of relief. They start the same way the did the night before, cupping his cheek in their hand and kissing his mouth. Sans obediently opens his jaw, but his tongue isn't there - considering recent context, it's really no surprise that he can't force it to form either.

Chara sends a gentle spark all the way down his spine as they kiss him, testing a hypothesis. Sans gives a grunt, pushing forward a bit into the embrace. He's too exhausted, too desperate for a gentle touch, to consider what he's doing.

The chains dissipate as Chara continues gently stimulating his sensitive bones. His shaking legs can't hold him up on their own, and so he leans heavily onto Chara, wrapping his arms around their shoulders. They see his tongue form along with their stimulation and smirk - hypothesis confirmed. 

Sans notes their smile but tries to ignore it as he shyly runs his tongue over the seam of their lips. With a slight moan, Chara opens their mouth allowing his tongue entrance.

He isn't even really thinking these actions through. The way he leans in closer, the way he clings tightly to their arms and lets out shaky breaths, everything is just following Chara’s lead. They give him small hints that are easy enough to follow - a slight tug on his arm to guide it lower, a gentle pressure on his lower back to get him to press in further, and slight shocks to draw out staggered moans.

Of course, considering his last couple of hours have consisted of screaming and thrashing, eventually the smaller skeleton ends up being held on their lap as they rest against the wall, panting quietly from exhaustion. All he'd wanted was for the pain to stop. He hadn't considered having to guard his brain so he wouldn't get his mind messed with, and now he's just focusing on being submissive and obliging. Whatever it takes for them to be not just barely satisfied, but pleased with his efforts.

Just no more pain. 

Please. 

Chara breaks from the kiss to check the time. “Oh wow, it seems your shift is up...surely you don’t mind overtime?” They ask with a grin. 

Like he has any choice.

Swallowing, Sans shakes his head, keeping his eyes turned down and away. He wouldn’t dare say anything else. Will they hurt him again if he tried asking to leave? Probably.

He still takes advantage of the break to catch his breath. Chara is relentless in many different fields, clearly. They smirk, then continue the kiss, hands returning to tracing along his bones along with the occasional shock.

“mmph…”  Sans obligingly moans, shivering at their touch and leaning in deeper. If he lets himself get lost, to forget the who and why and where...it's not so bad. 

Then Chara moves their hands to his shorts. Sans shudders, freezing and tensing up. He then quickly takes their hands in his, holding them tightly but gently up between their chests. 

Chara breaks the kiss. “What are you doing?”

Sans grins at them nervously,  “h-holdin’ hands..?”

Chara gives him a dubious look, and tries to pull out of his grip, to find that his tight hold was tighter than either of them thought. Chara's eyes narrow. “Let go.”

Sans swallows, slowly releasing them and tucking his hands under his shoulders.  _ ‘please don’t please don't please don't do this…’ _

They rest their hands on his hips and continue to kiss him. Sans reciprocates but is constantly glancing down, hyper-aware of where their fingers are. He moves in closer, shifting his legs in such a way that pulling off his shorts is more difficult. He attempts to hide his motive by increasing the intensity of his kissing, giving more shy, quiet moans to satiate them.

His attempt fails however, as increasing the intensity of the kiss causes them to put a hand on his back, and to lean forward until he is lying on the ground. Sans feels his SOUL pounding against his sternum as he looks into their eyes, the hungry expression in them making him shiver. This hasn't gone the direction he was hoping for. 

Their hands once again rest on his hips and start to go lower. Sans grabs their arms, pretending to use them for support to pull himself up closer to their face. 

At his assumed difficulty in reaching them, Chara puts a hand on the back of his skull and rests their forearm on the ground for balance, bringing their bodies closer. He stubbornly keeps his grip, not allowing them to move their hands any further. 

The hand on his head slips down a bit to send a pleasant jolt to his spine, and at the same time sends a jolt to his hip with the other hand.

“ _ nnngh!  _ guh...hff…” Sans tenses and then goes limp, panting and watching them with glassy eyes. 

“Are you alright?” Chara checks, hoping they are being careful enough not to damage his SOUL any more.

Sans swallows, giving a weak nod,  “y-yeah…”  His SOUL is quite the opposite of damaged at the moment, if the bright glow in his chest is anything to go by. 

Chara sits up and stretches. “We have been at this for a while. Next time it ought to be in a more comfortable setting.”

Sans gives another nod, sitting up as well, although he has to lean against the wall. He tries to think of something to say, but his brain isn't exactly working. 

“Come here a second.” They say, gesturing him over. Sans shifts over without hesitation, resting on his knees in front of them, eyes half-closed.

“Turn around.”

Slowly Sans turns his back to Chara, tightly gripping the folds of his jacket. 

With a rush, Sans can feel all of his magic returning as they take off the collar.

_ “guh! ...ngh.. _ ”  Sans curls over his stomach, breathing heavily to try and handle the sudden flood of magic. “ghh...th-thanks..” 

Chara smirks, and takes out what looks to be an amulet. “You are not out of the woods yet, I’m afraid.” They let him see the harmless-looking trinket, “This will only dampen your magic, not completely hold it off like the collar. I can’t have a repeat of last night after all.”

“p-pretty...p-pretty sure i-i’ve already l-learned my l-lesson on that one..”  Sans says weakly.

They hold it to him insistently. “I don’t think you have.”

“...y-you know i n-need to use m-magic to keep my SOUL hidden, r-right..?”

“Like I said, it keeps your magic - it just won’t be as strong.”

“....do i have to…?” Sans asks in a weary murmur, taking the necklace and wincing at the power he can sense around it.

“Why else would I suggest it?”

“it’s not really a suggestion.” Sans mumbles, putting it over his head and tensing up. He lets out harsh, heavy breaths through his teeth as he feels pressure constricting around his SOUL, weakening his magic.

Chara stands up and opens the door, already walking out. “I suppose you want to return home now.”

“...uh…”  Sans curls his fist over his chest, pulling his jacket closed over his glowing SOUL.

Chara turns at his hesitation. “Am I wrong? Or is there something you need?”

_‘don’t you_ **dare** _just stand up and go home.’_

“...i-i’m fine…”

“If you are certain.” They say as they turn back around and continue down the dungeon hallway.

Sans shivers, forcing himself to his feet and walking over to where his shirt got tossed. He glances over his shoulder to make sure Chara isn’t watching before he pulls off his jacket, exposing his SOUL completely for a moment as he pulls down his shirt. Well he’s just...going to have to hang out here for a while, then...saying that it would be awkward to be around other monsters while he was in this condition would be an incredible understatement. A glowing SOUL isn’t exactly indicative of time spent with someone in a strictly professional activity.

He pulls his jacket back on and slides to his seat on the floor, shutting his eyes and trying to focus on calming down, to let his excitement fade.

Chara pauses at the end of the hallway. “Sans? Are you coming?”

“i-i’ll uh...j-just...j-just taking a f-few minutes..”

“Need help with anything?”

“nope.” Was that as blatant a lie as he thought or was he being paranoid?

“If you say so. Want some alone time?”

“yeah.” Sans opens his eyes and breathes out slowly, starting to calm down. Slowly but surely, anyhow.

Chara chuckles and leaves the dungeons, debating on whether to keep the door open or not, shrugs, and shuts the door, hearing the click as it locks itself. Sans glances up, rolling his eyes and leaning back. Figures.

He tests the strength of his magic and decides he can still teleport, just not as far as usual. He glares at the thing around his neck. If he didn't know better by now he would smash it to pieces and not even humor the thought of keeping it on. Unfortunately, he  _ does  _ know better. He knows too well that punishments from Chara aren't worth the brief satisfaction that throwing a tantrum gives.

Sighing, he closes his eyes and teleports back to his room, instantly taking off the necklace and dumping it on the dresser. That still didn't mean he was going to wear it 24/7. If Chara expected him to behave himself when  _ not _ under their supervision, they were kidding themselves.

He should probably go say hi to Papyrus, ask him about his day, about training...but Sans finds that after those last five hours of torture, all he has the energy to do is fall in bed and shut his eyes. If only his mind would allow him any proper rest...being back in those dungeon cells has given his brain more than enough memory fodder to give him an endless cycle of some of the worst nightmares he's had in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeyy guys check out the ask blog hellish-anomaly.tumblr.com if you totally ignore the quality of the draws its grEAt
> 
> we also accept fanart submissions  
> *UNSUBTLE COUGHTerR*


	5. Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is tired and Chara is moderately sympathetic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OC Warning]  
> [try not to ddie]

Torture.

Pain.

Screaming.

Blood and dust, _so much dust_ …

Papyrus weakly calling out to him as he faded, promising that everything was going to be alright. Sans forced to stay immobile by cruel, rough hands as his brother’s skull was crushed underfoot. His screams for MERCY staying silent as his voice was paralyzed, along with the rest of him.

God, those endless weeks of just lying on the cold dungeon ground, unable to move, to speak...nothing except for the occasional visit from Chara, which always consisted of pain and taunting until finally, _finally_ , they kill him.

Only for him to wake back up to a still broken world.

His night is spent shaking under the covers and holding his jaw shut to avoid screaming. He continues trying to go back to sleep. This vicious cycle continues, until he's sleeping far past 1pm.

Chara doesn't waste any time with growing impatient and angry. They'd warned him about skipping shifts...now he is going to pay for it. When Sans wakes up and realizes what time it is, he panics and immediately races towards the throne room, leaving his jacket behind in his haste.

The throne room is empty of staff as Sans enters. He finds himself flung to the far wall, and Chara is in his face. “Room 202. 5 minutes.” Then they walk off quickly.

“shit…” Sans winces as he picks himself back up, rubbing at the back of his skull. This was a great way to start today...a private session with a pissed prinx. Apparently he deserves a miserable life.

He takes a moment to collect himself, going back to his room to put on the amulet and his hoodie, before teleporting to the room. Even just those actions leave him weary. He hadn't gained any energy last night - if anything, he'd lost more.

He is once again thrown to the wall upon entry. “Unlike your brother, Sans, I do not tolerate tardiness.”

The skeleton winces as his sore shoulders are thrown against the stone surface, keeping his eyes down. Chara's face was in his nightmares too many times last night. He feels like he'll pass out if he tries to make eye contact.

“...sorry.” Sans mumbles.

They send a warning jolt of electricity into him. “You’re about to be.”

 _“ggh!_ ” Sans shuts his eyes and tenses at the wave of pain, “d-didn't...d-didn’t m-mean to oversleep..”

“What? You stayed up all night? Not a smart thing to do when you know you have work in the morning.” They send another jolt through him, slightly worse this time.

“ _gah_!” He shrinks back, away from their hand, “..y-yeah, you're right...won’t...won't happen again.” Sans says, voice weary.

“I am going to make sure of that.” They hold their hand up, and Sans can see the terrifying amount of electricity coming from it.

He watches them with exhausted eyes, chin dropping to his chest.

 _Just take it it'll end at some point_. “...’k-kay..” Is all he says in response. He's too tired to beg for MERCY like they probably want - he's already done too much of that in his sleep.

Their hand connects to his body, and all that registers in his mind is pain. His screaming is nonetheless stuttered and weak, and he sinks to the floor when Chara withdraws. “gh...o-okay, lesson...l-lesson learned..” He tries, voice thick with the desire to let out a sob. Not because of the pain, but because of his weary, aching SOUL that just wants to rest.

“How does your brother even put up with you? Through every timeline he is always trying to get you off your lazy ass.”

 

_“BROTHER PLEASE PLEASE JUST RUN I CAN'T ALLOW YOU TO DIE, I'LL PROTECT THEM PLEASE JUST RUN-”_

 

Sans tries to make himself stand, but lacks the will. He gives a shaky sigh. “i..i d-dunno.”

Another jolt of lightning. He cries out, curling forward over his chest, “..Ch-Chara...p-please…” He can't do this today, he just _can’t._ “..please stop..”

They hold a crackling hand just before his chest. “Depends on how much you have learned your lesson”

“i-i’ve learned it, i…” He jerks and gives a yelp as he's shocked again. “p-please, c-can...c-can’t ya just…” Just what? His throat grows thick as his frustration with himself is only adding to the pressure, “...i c..i..” He takes in a shaky breath, unable to mute a quiet sob that breaks through, “i c-can’t…”

They pause. “Are you crying?”

He continues on like he hasn't heard them, “i-i’ll stay for the r-rest of the day j-just _please stop with the pain_ …” He shuts his eyes, curling his hands over both sockets. A few tears escape.

They set him down and watch him curiously. He sinks to his seat, hiding his face in his arms and quivering. Yes, he's crying in front of Chara and not out of pain or fear, just sheer exhaustion. But he can't keep this bottled up anymore.

They watch, amused for a few moments, before they pick him up and embrace him, sitting down on the bed. “Awww, you are fine.” They coo, coddling him.

Against his better judgment, Sans allows himself to curl up in their lap and lean against them. They're the _cause_ of all of his distress, but no one else can understand his burden of RESETs and multiple deaths. No one else would calmly stay with him and not fire questions at him relentlessly.

And fuck it, after a night like that, he _needs_ comforting. Damn the provider. It doesn’t matter.

They stroke his skull gently. ”Surely there is more in your mind than just the physical pain I have just brought you.?” They say, reading him like a book. “Did you get in a fight with your brother?”

Sans merely shakes his head in response, staring down at the hands in his lap and giving a shaky sigh. If he says ‘nightmares’ then they are just going to laugh at him. And mocking isn't something he can deal with right now.

“Something you don’t want to talk about?”

Obviously, since he isn't talking about it. As though Chara even cares...they're probably taking a sadistic joy from his distress. He should leave. He should ask for another sick day. He should go home and just be alone.

Instead, he huddles closer against them, sighing at their gentle petting and soft embrace.

“So, I take it you had a bad night?”

“it wasn't exactly great, nah.”

They rub his back comfortingly. “I see. Well, you have paperwork waiting for you that was lined up today, finish that and you may go home.”

Sans gives a groan, pushing himself off of Chara's lap back to the floor, putting his head in his hands. “fine. whatever.”

“Take your time. I will be in my study if you need me.”

Sans snorts at that idea, getting up and shuffling out the door. Like he'd ever _need_ them. The case was usually the opposite, to be honest.

 

ECHO usually stuck herself in one place and tended to stay there for awhile, not paying much mind to the monsters around her. Or seemingly so, anyways. In truth, everything that was said anywhere near her was lodged in her limitless memory for forever.

Ever since that ‘mystery assassination’ that Chara had experienced in the dungeon, she's been hired to wander around and simply listen to everything. The glowing, blue petaled being was something of a background personality, and no one usually noticed her.

It made her the perfect spy. Even better, she didn't really seem aware of Chara's motives or anger. Better yet, she didn’t care to try and find out. She was constantly away somewhere in her head. She always managed to come to meetings on time, though. Even if she probably didn't pay attention to most of it.

“Hello, your Majesty. Are you well?”

Even Chara is a bit unsettled with her mix of voices. She seems to be incapable of speaking otherwise unless she blends together words she has overheard from every monster that has passed by her in the Underground.

“Greetings, indeed I am. Have you found anything new?”

“No. There are many citizens continuing to talk about you and the small SKELETON.” She says, tilting her head. The stem atop her head falls to the side, and she pushes more soft petals from her face. “They are curious.”

“Well, I haven’t really made my involvement with him a secret.”

ECHO doesn't respond to that. She tilts her head up and watches the ceiling with distant eyes. She's suddenly elsewhere, as usual.

Chara rolls their eyes, and leaves ECHO to herself. They head to their study to get some work done.

Sans is at his usual place in the library, working on a seemingly endless stack of papers. If Chara is trying to make sure he stays tortured while they aren't watching, it's working. Even as a sentry he hadn't done this much work.

He glances up as a glowing, blue being sits down next to him, “hey.” He says absently.

“hey.” She echoes back in his exact voice, causing him to look up again.

“...that's new.” He mumbles, “don't think i've seen you around here before. you new?”

“I have been here for two weeks.” She replies, either not noticing or caring about Sans’s reaction to her voices.

“...right.” _That's really disturbing._ “...i’m Sans. Sans the skeleton. nice...to meet ya.” He squints at the weird monster as he offers a hand.

“ECHO.” She takes his hand like he’s offered it as an object rather than a gesture, studying the bones of it for a minute, “You and your brother are the only skeletons I've ever met. It's strange.”

“oh yeah?” Sans gently tugs his hand free and turns back to his work, pretending to pay attention.

“There should be more. You and your brother are nice.” ECHO twists the small buds around her wrist, “I feel safe with Papyrus around.”

“....heh. yeah, he's pretty cool, huh?” Sans smiles a bit in spite of himself.

“I can tell you two love each other very much.” ECHO looks across the library at something in her mind, “It's sweet. I've never seen such a close bond..”

Sans tenses up a bit, “...if..if they sent you to deliver a threat…”

She looks back, “Who would threaten you? You're so nice..”

“heh. i’m not _that_ nice..”

“I think you are. I've never heard anyone say otherwise, either.” She stands up, “If you _are_ mean you're very good at hiding it.”

“nice to know you don't gotta _stigma_ against me.” Sans grins and gives a wink.

She tilts her head, “You have a nice smile, Sans.” ECHO smiles back, and then drifts away to elsewhere. Sans watches her go, and then turns back to his work.

She's probably the first person in weeks to talk to him about something besides Chara.

That was pretty nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do nOT PANIC  
> all OCs are strictly for advancing plot purposes  
> the spotlight will not turn to them you all can rest assured that Sans and Chara's hatemance is always going to be the focus
> 
> ECHO and ECHO drawing are -Lucy Red's


	6. Something Doesn't Feel Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans isn't the only one who has a bad time sleeping, sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucy: *muttering under her breath* too much OC too much OC too much OC...

Chara stood at their calender, feeling the familiar lurch in their SOUL as it has once a year for the past 12 years on this exact day. Even when they would reload they would feel it. They had experimented, but after awhile they just chalked it up to an unexplained exception. It wasn't painful, just a little exhausting. 

The first time it happened, they had panicked when it happened to no one else.

They always told Asriel.

They mark their calendar, and lay down to sleep. They hope one day they will know the significance of this day, and why it always makes their SOUL shudder in dread.

 

Since Chara hadn’t shown up at 202, Sans had easily excused himself to the library, assuming that they were sick or just busy with kingdom stuff that had kept them too occupied to visit him like usual. He isn’t sure if he can recover from this emotional blow, but as he hums cheerfully to himself and strolls through the library’s shelves, he assures himself that he will, somehow, move on. Though as he runs his finger through the pages of an old history textbook, he hears a quiet groan and realizes that, unfortunately, he isn’t the only one who decided to retreat here.

Sans shifts his jaw and keeps his eye on the text in his hands, not looking up as Chara shuffles down the aisle, “mornin’, Majesty. you look like shit.” He greets.

“Har har. Don't you have paperwork to do?” They say as they scan the shelf briefly before removing a book.

“no one was there to give me any. guess my usual busy work giver was busy having a fit somewhere. and my shift is over, so my freetime is outta your jurisdiction.” Sans says pointedly, scanning the pages of the book he picked up. It's all historical records from the last five years. Five years that he'd lived through several times over until Chara had moved on to this new RESET point.

He flips through the pages. It's all just statistics - deaths and births, new laws, marriages…

How many times has he lived through realities where more than half these names listed under  _ Born _ never existed, because their parents had been crushed to dust? How long would the  _ Deaths  _ list be if there had been anybody left alive to remember the names of all the fallen monsters?

Sans slams the book shut and puts it back, tightening his jaw. He wishes he didn't remember so much. 

“Reading a mystery?” They ask, amused. “Did you guess wrong?”

“i…” Sans puts a hand over his eye, clenching his fists and turning away from them, “..can't do this right now.” He mutters, turning and walking away. 

They shrug, and sit nearby to relax and read. Sans’s feelings haven't concerned them before, and they certainly won't now. The small pulse in their SOUL continues. It has never lasted this long... how strange...

 

Sans hurries out of the library, and makes his way down the hall. With Chara there, the library feels less like the sanctuary it used to be. Instead he just wanders the castle he has come to be familiar with. He laughs mirthlessly to himself, resting against a wall. How strange for this place to become almost as familiar as his home in Snowdin.

It only took a few weeks, too. Though there's probably an advantage to be had in becoming familiar with the castle's layout-...

Sans frowns as he sees a glowing blue figure standing in the corner, facing the wall with her head tilted. He approaches slowly, clearing his throat quietly, “uh..hey?”

“hey.” She responds with his same voice.

“...ECHO, right?”

“Yes.” Who’s voice was  _ that _ ? It sounded like Sirona.

“...whatcha, uh...whatcha doin’ there?”

“I’m lost.”

“...where you tryin’ to get to?”

“The garden.”

“...want help getting there? no offense, but uh..you’re not gonna get very far staring at the wall.”

ECHO turns around to face him, blinking and then nodding after a few seconds, “Please.”

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Sans beckons her to follow him and leads her out to the courtyard. She steps into the sunlight, closing her eyes. The petals on her head seem to spread out a little bit as she holds still and lets out a slow breath.

“you need sunlight?” Sans questions, squinting as he puts his hands into his pockets.

“Yes.”

“...didn’t think ECHO flowers would need any.”

“No, not really.” She responds, “They don’t - but I am different. I require at least one hour of sunlight to keep from growing weak.”

Sans gives a soft ‘huh’, tilting his head up and looking at the cavern ceiling, “...so you come here often? not, uh, like a pick-up…” He glances at her and decides that she can’t tell much of a difference. “...since this is the only spot in the Underground where actual sunlight comes through.”

“No.”

“......no?”

“Yes.”

Sans snorts, rolling his eyes good-naturedly and rubbing at his skull, “you’re one heck of a chatterbox, huh, nightlight?”

ECHO opens her eyes and looks behind her before glancing back at Sans, tilting her head, “Who is nightlight?”

“i was talking to you.”

“Why are you calling me that?”

“cause you’re...y’know...ECHO flowers glow...in the dark..” Sans shakes his head, throwing up his hands slightly and sighing, “neeevvvermind.” 

She nods, closing her eyes again and then sitting down, “I’m sorry.” She says as he starts walking away.

Sans pauses at that, turning around, “...what for?”

“I know that I am frustrating. I don’t understand very much.” ECHO runs her fingers over the petals of a golden buttercup, “I don’t converse often. I stay in Waterfall, and listen to the flowers. I was only brought here because Chara wanted me to listen to the castle.”

“what do you mean by that?”

“They seem convinced that someone wants to hurt them.”

Sans’s eye twitches, “oh really?”

“ _ Really.” _

Sans laughs, “that sounded like Undyne.”

“It was. She has quite a lot of...emphasis.” ECHO’s lips twitch upwards for a brief moment, “She asks me a lot about what I’ve overheard...she calls me a wallflower sentry.”

He snorts, shrugging to himself and sitting down in the buttercups with her, “yeah? what kind of criminal activities have you reported? unlicensed spelunking?”

“I once spoiled a surprise party for her…” ECHO frowns, opening her eyes and looking faintly guilty, “It was your brother - I did not mean to overhear him but his voice...it echoes on its own.”

“oh man that was  _ you _ who blew the whistle? i remember him being real upset about th-...” Sans clears his throat, “i mean, uh...really.”

“I really like your brother. He’s very kind to me. I feel bad about upsetting his plans.”

Sans can’t help but grin, “ah, that was months ago, nightlight. don’t worry about it - i can 100% guarantee ya that he forgives you already.”

ECHO stares at him a moment, and then slowly smiles, “Really?”

Giving her a double thumbs up, Sans winks, “ _ really _ .” He says in the best impression of Undyne’s voice as he can manage.

She makes an odd wheezy, choking sound and her nose crinkles up, “Thank you.”

Was that a laugh? He’s going to assume that was a laugh. “heh. not a problem.” He lays back, sighing and closing his eyes as the warmth of the sun soaks into his bones, “ahh..this is a good spot for a nap..” He murmurs.

“For someone who sleeps so much, you never look rested. What are you tired of, Sans?”

He opens his eyes again, squinting at her, “...i’m just lazy. don’t worry about it.”

“Okay.”

Sans shifts himself a bit, hissing a bit of air out his teeth before relaxing again. He drifts off easily, snoring quietly in his sleep. After a while however, his snoring stops and he begins twitching, brow furrowing and breathing picking up its pace as his usual nightmares start up. ECHO watches him for a minute, and then reaches out her hand and gently braces it over his skull.

A pulse of calming, light blue magic flows through him and he goes limp, giving a sigh and a quiet hum. ECHO smiles, echoing his humming as she stands up and walks back into the palace to resume her patrol.

And for the first time in years, Sans has a restful, dreamless sleep.


	7. OMG That is Not What Tongues Are For Chara GROSS (aka shortest oral job in history of ever)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is a little absent minded about some things that he shouldn't be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha what

Sans didn’t think he’d be so unhappy to not have any work to do. Usually he’d be elated that it was over with, but for the shift to  _ begin _ without anything handed out to him….he’d been at this for long enough to know what that meant. He sighs, dragging his hands down his face and taking a second to breathe in.

Alright. Nothing he hasn’t already dealt with. Just...get it over with..

And so he goes to where he is always expected to be on days without paperwork. Room 202. As soon as he enters the room, he is pressed against the wall and lip to mouth with Chara.

Sans chokes and shoves them back, holding his hands up,  “whoa? uh...a  _ warning  _ might be nice?”

Chara grabs his wrists, pinning him to the wall, but just before their lips made contact again, they noticed something, or rather the lack of something. Their grip on him tightens. “Where is the necklace?”

Shit.  “...uh...my room..”

“And why is it in your room,and not on your neck?” Their grip is too tight on his wrists that he can feel his bones start to ache in fear of breaking.

“gh! i-i just f-forgot- _ ah!  _ hff..Ch-Chara you're hurting me..”

In a swift motion he is tossed onto the bed, red chains pulling him against the headboard, and forcing his arms above his head. “I’ll be right back” They say as they walk out of the room.

“...sh-shit..” Sans tugs weakly at the bonds, wincing as they immediately burn him the moment he tries to struggle. He holds still, already starting to sweat. He clenches his fists to hide the trembling. Fuck fuck fuck he'd fucked up  _ again _ , shit...

 

The convenient location of room 202 makes the trip to get the collar shorter, as the dungeon is just around the corner. It isn’t long before they arrive back at the room. Sans immediately sees the torture item and pulls back, shaking his head.

“no no no  _ no _ please not that thing again i can go get the necklace don't put that on me-”

“If you didn’t like the necklace, you should have just said so Sans. That way I can return it for a better item.” Chara says, smirking as they twirl the collar around their finger.

“it was j-just off when i was asleep!”  He lies, “it…...it’s great. i really like it, Chara..”  Sans drops his chin as his voice becomes more mumbled. More lies, those last two being painfully obvious. But he's hoping Chara will be pleased with his attempts to give them what they want to hear. 

Chara slowly steps forward, still twirling the collar. “Surely you need a reminder on how much you want that necklace to the alternatives right?”

“i r-really don't…”  Sans shrinks back, curling up his fists tighter, “...h-heh...not that that's gonna stop you, though..”  He shuts his eyes, knowing by now that it's inevitable. 

“Oh Sans, you know me so well.” They say with mock adoration as they clip the collar around his neck. The skeleton gives a strangled cry of pain, drawing in his legs to his chest and breathing harshly through his teeth. It feels like he's being crushed and suffocated at the same time, and it makes no sense to him how he's still alive.

His energy is quickly drained and he goes limp, eyes half-closed as he awaits further torture. 

“On another note, I noticed you and my spy getting along. Her mind is strong despite being in space constantly.”

He winces when their hands ghost his sternum, giving a shiver, “...wh...ECHO…?”

Chara nods. “She is the best in her field though. Even by her voices I can determine whether someone unusual has been near.”

“wh...why’s she here, h-huh? what’s...wh-why’d you need a spy?” He figures pretending that she didn’t tell him will keep her from getting in trouble.

“Extra precaution, nothing more. Anyway, she tells me you haven't been sleeping. Why is that?” Chara asks, pulling his shirt up.

Sans stiffens, feeling a gross, crawling cold in his bones like always whenever Chara touches him, “n..n-nightmares…”

“Oh is that all?” Chara sits up and takes out a small bottle. “One drop before bed and bam, instant uninterrupted sleep.”

“h-ha, what, so...s-so you can...d-drug me up and fuck me in m-my sleep? why should…” Sans shakes his head, “wh-why the fuck should i trust you..”

“What reason have I to lie? I could torture you drug or not. This will give you dreamless sleep. So safe I’d use it on my brother when I wanted to sneak out.”

Sans gives a bitter smile, “yeah..s-so worried about h-his safety th-that you  _ kill him _ , right?”

They shrug. “Believe me or don't. No skin off my nose” They put it away and lean over to kiss him. “Not like you have earned it anyways.”

Sans glares weakly off to the side, shifting his jaw and keeping his mouth closed.

“Oh, going to be stubborn now? You are the one who left your necklace.”

“i hate you.” He seethes.

“What’s your point?”

“didn’t say there was one.”

“Hmm well I suppose you better think about what's important to you.”

Sans closes his eyes, letting his head face forward again and keeping his eyes down as he opens his mouth, grunting slightly as they start to kiss him.

“There you go~” They praise, before pulling his face closer. He says nothing in reply, not moving to reciprocate. He just curls up his fists, pulling slightly at the chains around his wrists. He hates this...holy  _ fuck  _ he hates this…

“...don’t know why the fuck i’m askin’ this but why don’t you ever..” Sans squints at them, shifting awkwardly in his seat, “...why’s it always  _ me _ ?” 

“It hasn’t always been you. You have seen my journal. You are just last on the list.”

“no, i mean, th...these ‘sessions’. it’s always just you...just you touching me and making me..” Sans grimaces, “...do you get off on this? on me trying to fight you?”

“Many things get me going. But I do enjoy seeing you in pain to put it generally.” They say with a smirk.

“there’s a surprise.” Sans mutters, clenching his fists and sighing through his teeth.

“If you knew the answer, then why ask?”

“because i felt like it.” He snaps grumpily. 

Chara chuckles, running their fingers down his arms. He stiffens, feeling more scared than anything - but he's not going to show it. 

“Ohh, why so tense? Relax and enjoy yourself.” Chara teases, sending sparks through their fingers.

Sans gives a huff, silently reminding himself that he won't be leaving until he swallows his pride and cooperates. He lets out a breath, and forces himself to relax. 

“Atta boy~” They praise as they lean forward to kiss him. 

He turns his eyes away as he opens his mouth, grunting and arching his back at the feeling of their tongue, “mph..”

They press closer to him, working their sparking fingers along his bones. He shivers, tilting his head back and grunting as he reluctantly returns the kiss, inwardly sighing. What's the point of putting up a fight, really? 

They moan as the grind on him, continuing the kiss. Sans shivers, tensing as he feels their fingers on the hem of his shorts. Abruptly he pulls his head back, “ _ no. _ ”

“Why? Would you rather have my spy?” They ask, pressing up against him further.

Sans blinks, actually looking them in the eye, “‘scuse me?”

“You have been spending quite some time with her I’ve noticed.”

“...not really? we had our first conversation today. is that too forward of me?”

“Hmm, well, you better not taint my research now. Accidents can happen with tainted experiments.” They say as they tug at his shorts once more.

“stop.” His voice is hoarse as he draws his knees in, pressing his legs together tightly, “stop. don't.”

“Hush. You are making it last longer by protesting.”

He starts squirming, pushing his hips back against the headboard, “please. your Majesty please, please no…”

“You are going to crack your SOUL further, knock it off.” They scold.

“i c-can’t...i c-can’t want it, please, please not...n-not now, not today, i can't..”

“Why? Is today special?”

Sans feels a threatening tightness in his throat,  _ ‘don’t you dare fucking cry you bastard…’  _ and he takes in a deep breath, trying to calm himself, “l...l-look, it...i-it’s just...i…” His excuse bank is unnaturally empty at the moment. “..i-i’m not ready..”

“Not ready? You act like this is your first time with me.” They say with a laugh.

“Chara please..”

“Why should I? You wouldn’t even accept my gift.”

“p-please Chara p-please n..n-not that i-i’ll cooperate with anything else j-just  _ please..”  _ His voice shakes threateningly as he begs. 

“Fine, pleasure me instead.”

He tenses, but nods, “o..o-okay...okay fine..”

Chara leans back, looking at him expectantly as they let the chains holding his wrists evaporate. Sans eyes them awkwardly, obviously clueless. “...uh, so how...how do i…?”

“Your tongue would be a good start.”

“...so just...kiss you…?”

Chara laughs. “Let me better explain.” Chara pushes Sans onto his back, pulling his shorts down, and they start licking his pelvis.

Sans yelps, striking out and hitting them in the face instinctively, kicking them away as he scrambles off to the side of the mattress, fumbling to pull his shorts back up.

They hold their nose, pausing in shock.

“what the fuck...what the fuck...no no no no…” Sans tumbles off the bed, fighting with the door handle to the room - they’d left it unlocked, and he falls out into the hallway. He quickly starts sprinting.

However, he only gets to the end of the hallway before he is grabbed by their magic and pulled back.  _ “no!”  _ Sans shouts, crumbling to his knees as the collar shocks him, punishing him for his sudden attempt to use his magic.

“Really?” They ask, deadpanned as they throw him back onto the bed, locking the door shut.

Sans’s breath hitches as he pushes back against the headboard, chest rising and falling rapidly, “no...no no no Chara no…!”

“Relax. I was just giving you a demonstration.” They bring their hand to their nose again and it comes away bloody. “Shit, you got me good.” They say amused.

Sans draws his knees in, “i-i’m sorry i-i’m s-so fucking s-sorry, sh-shit...sh-shit Ch-Chara p-please d-don’t h-hurt...f-fuck, i d-didn’t m-mean to-!”

“I said relax. I did startle you. Can't fault reflexes.”

Sans swallows, bracing his arms against his chest and trying to take in slow breaths, shutting his eyes tightly, “f-fuck...fuck fuck fuck fuck….” He mutters shakily, his voice barely a whisper.

They sigh. “You know what, take the rest of the day off, no strings attached.”

He looks up, “..wh..what…?”

They flick their finger and the door unlocks and opens. “I'm sure you heard me.”

“...you  _ never  _ give me anything without strings attached.  _ ever _ .”

“Would you  _ like _ to have strings attached?”

Sans puts his hands in his face and  _ laughs.  _ Because in a fucked up way yes, he would like strings attached. He's been their fucking puppet for too long to know how to handle any sort of ‘free lunch’ deal from them. 

Chara gives him a confused look. “Something funny?”

“aha...wh..wh-what the fuck am i letting you do to my head…” He chuckles dryly, leaning back and dragging his hands down his face, fingers scraping at the dark bone under his sockets.

They chuckle. “Well, are going going going to accept your free day off or not?”

“...fine. fine. take off this fucking collar please…”

“Since you have asked so nicely..” They snark as they unhook it. “Make sure to have your necklace tomorrow.”

“y-yeah...whatever.” Sans mutters, shutting his eyes and teleporting away back into his room. He buries himself under layers of blankets, and makes a mental note to take a shower next opportunity he gets. He can still sense the ghost feeling of the Prinx’s tongue on his pelvis, and it’s making him sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whaaaattt


	8. Stop Caring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara is helpful, so long as they're being inconvenienced.  
> Unfortunately this makes it hard for Sans to accept sincerely selfless concern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans actually climaxes for the first time since...  
> ahem. WELL. Y'know.  
> Too bad this time is only slightly less worse

Sans wakes up in the same manner he has been for the past several days - freshly ripped away from a nightmare and sweating like mad. He falls to the floor as he wakes up flailing and trying to kick his way free from the grasp of a non-existent guard, smacking his face into the (luckily soft) carpet.

_ “shit!”  _ He pushes himself up to his knees, rubbing at his head and wincing. Dazed still, he fumbles a bit before managing to grab his phone off of the nightstand and check the time - 11:59.

“oh  _ fuck _ …!” Sans forces himself to his feet, clumsily pulling his t-shirt over his head along with the amulet. He shoves one arm into his jacket and teleports into the throne room, wearing one slipper and unknowingly pulling his hoodie on inside out. It was a short jump, but it's still exhausted him too much to be able to teleport any further. The skeleton ignores the odd looks he's given as he heads to the right wing of the castle, eyes wide in panic. He can't be late  _ again _ oh fuck what are they going to do to him-?

His question is answered as he shoves his way inside 202 only to immediately be dragged down by chains that form on his wrists and neck, slamming his face into the floor. Sans struggles to catch his breath as he sees the feet of the human approaching from his forced prostrate position. He can feel his bones starting to rattle in fear.

“Ch-Chara i’m sorry-” He tries.

“Really? Late four days in a row doesn't scream  _ sorry _ . It screams  _ disobedience!” _

It's been  _ four days _ ? “i..i-it hasn't been on purpose-”

“Right, well, laziness no matter the excuse will not be tolerated.” He hears their whip materialize.

Sans flinches violently in anticipation of the soon coming pain, “sh-shit,  _ wait  _ i gotta...you gotta take off m-my jacket first i can't get it ripped…”

“Are you trying to tell me what to do?”

“P-Paps’ll notice it's w-wrecked he'll figure out something is wrong, please, you g-gotta let me take it off…”

“Hmm. Fine.” The chains dissipate. “Strip.”

Sans stands up on shaking legs, fumbling to pull his hoodie and t-shirt off before kneeling back down. 

“I said strip.” Chara repeats.

Sans freezes, “...i did..”

“Not completely ~”

“...Ch...Ch-Chara please no..”

“Having your shorts is a privilege, and one that you haven't deserved for the past four days. Now strip.”

As much as he wants to press his luck, he decides against it. Standing up, Sans slowly slips his thumbs inside the hem of his shorts, taking a deep breath and pulling them off quickly. Just get it over with. Hesitating isn’t going to help anyway.

He tosses the piece of clothing with his others and kneels down again, staying tucked in a little tighter this time.

_ Flip _

_ Crack _

The whip hits the ground next to him.

Sans jolts violently, giving a stammered swear and ducking his chin to his collar, trembling. 

“So, why were you late four days in a row?”

“i-i overslept..” He explains, taking in deep breaths to keep his voice from shaking as much as possible, “i haven't...haven't been late..on purpose…”

The whip cracks across his back.

“Overslept? First you complain about the lack of sleep, and now you are sleeping too much?”

Sans cries out, his hands hitting the floor as he quickly stretches out his arms to catch himself, “...y..y-yeah, s..sorta…” He watches his fingers intently, shoulders lifting in apprehension of the next strike, “i’m...complicated..h-heh…” There were zero things to be laughing about in this situation - a depressing thing to note for a ‘comedian’ such as himself that could always find at least one reason to grin. 

“Care to explain why?” They ask, striking him again.

_ “gah _ !” Sans brings his hand up to his mouth to bite down on his knuckles, shutting his eyes tightly, “n..not...really…”

“And why not?”

“because it...doesn't..really matter..” Sans grits his teeth, shoulders shaking, “...doubt there's...any answer i could give ya that's gonna..get me any pity...definitely not the truth…” He flinches as he hears Chara drawing back again, “you s-said yourself that there's n-no excuse for b-bein’ late...you'll just...find another reason to beat me...anyway…”

“Even if it means disobeying?” They ask as they whip him once more.

“y-you didn't order me to tell you…” He points out. 

“I asked. That should be order enough.”

Sans breathes out harshly through his teeth as the lash cuts into his marrow, “w-well glad that's...cleared up…” He gives a shaky sigh, “i’ve been...havin’ nightmares again.”

The whip dissipates. “And you thought best to keep this from me? Even despite it affecting your work?”

Sans gives a weak laugh, “what would you care? far as...far as i knew, you'd just...tell me to s-suck it up and get over it...i don't know you as a...s-super sympathetic person..”

They snort.”I care because no amount of sucking it up will bring you into work on time.” 

Chains grab his wrists and pull him back onto the bed. Chara takes the small bottle out of their robe. Sans tenses, breathing picking up, “look, i...i’m already not the bravest but i...i’m r-really not a fan of...of sleep paralysis or anything like it s-so whatever that is you...you could maybe put it away…?”

“Don't be such a drama queen. This will help you sleep, as I have said before.” They open it and fill the dropper. “Open your mouth.”

“why the f-fuck would you ever help me?!” He tries to turn his head away, but Chara grips his chin and forces his mouth open. Sans chokes as the solution is forced down his throat, coughing in an effort to dispel it. But it's already absorbed. His breath hitches in panic as he starts anticipating something horrible. 

“Because you being late throws off my schedule idiot.” They say as they watch him start to relax.

His mind is a bit slower to react, being in a panic, and he assumes his body relaxing is a sign of paralysis, “wh-why couldn't you just take me off of your f-fucking schedule, h-huh?!”

They chuckle. “Hush and get some goddamn sleep.” They say as they crawl up next to him.

At first seeing them coming nearer makes him as relaxed as someone noticing a spider crawling up their leg, but his breathing gradually slows, and he feels a weight in his eyelids. “..mph..”

The chains dissipate and they pull him against them. His legs twitch and he presses his knees together, managing to still feel modest in spite of his tired state. 

“Get some sleep now kitten.” They whisper, nuzzling into him.

He stares at them with glassy eyes, for once not moving away from their touch. He lets his head rest on their shoulder, keeping hazy eye contact for no real reason other than that they're simply something there to gawk at. 

“How adorable you are when sleepy.” They say with a mocking tone, smirking.

Unsurprisingly he doesn't react, with indignation or anything else. They brace a thumb on his lower jaw and push his chin down, leaning in and kissing him. He doesn’t moan or press in closer, but his tongue is formed, and he's haphazardly trying to reciprocate. They pull back with a laugh, grinning at him as his eyes slowly close.

 

“Rise and shine~” Sans awakens to Chara calling out. “You have been asleep for 18 hours, how do you feel?”

Sans blinks rapidly, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes, “what…”

“Good I presume? I told your brother about your sleep issue and told him I was letting you sleep. You definitely look rested.” They continue. 

He  _ feels _ rested - it's an odd sensation. “...huh…” He blinks, his eyelids not feeling heavy at all, “..uh...thanks...i guess…”

“This is probably the earliest you have ever been up, huh?” They say with a smirk.

“what time is it?”

“About 6:30am.”

Sans's eyes widen and he falls back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling, “holy shit..”

“Yeah. I told you that shit works. And you thought I lied.” They say smugly.

“how ridiculous of me when you're so renowned for telling the truth.” Sans deadpans, eyes narrowing slightly. 

“Hey, I tell the truth more often than you think.” They defend.

“not nearly often enough for me to trust you.” 

“Fair enough. “ They say as they lay next to him.

“...right, well, i’m...gonna go now..” Sans gets up, only to have his wrists locked together and secured back against the headboard once more.

“Leaving so soon? I never got to finish my demonstration ~” They say, pulling his kneeling legs apart. For good measure they have his ankles secured to his thighs, “Wouldn't want you kicking me in the face again, would we?”

Sans's breathing hitches, “w-wait, no, i don't want-”

Hands braced on his knees for balance, they lick slowly along his right thigh. Sans chokes on a startled cry, trying to push himself up further against the headboard. His eyelids flutter for a second at the sensation of Chara's tongue inching closer to his pelvis, “g-gh..! no, no no  _ stop _ …!”

They chuckle, stopping before they reach his pelvis, and move on to his other thigh.

A choked whimper escapes him and he shuts his eyes, trying to ignore the heat in his face. “hff..”

They ghost their tongue along his notch. He yelps and squirms in place, gasping and giving a reluctant groan through his teeth.

“Enjoying yourself, Sans?” Chara asks, glancing up at him and smirking.

It wouldn’t be a lie to say no. But he can’t force out the simple two-letter word with his face being as flushed as it is, and his breathing as deep. He instead looks away, clenching his jaw and shutting his eyes tightly as sweat trickles down his temple.

They resume licking the top of his inner thighs, chuckling at his squirming, which starts to get more desperate. A smirk crosses their face as they finally force a moan out of him. Sans feels the heat in his face grow at the burning sense of shame he feels as he arches his back, panting and failing to keep himself quiet.

“Need something?”

“th-this isn’t  _ funny _ , Chara..!” Sans chokes out, grunting and curling up his fists tightly as they stroke his pubis, chuckling at the way this makes him writhe, “i-it’s not funny…! you’re...you’re g-going to fracture me again!”

“No I’m not.” Chara responds, not buying the bluff for a second, “However reluctantly, you’re still consenting to this. It was our agreement. Besides, I’m not touching your SOUL, and I don’t plan to. Neither do I plan on forcing you to finish. That is going to be up to you.”

Sans gathers up the nerve to look at them for once, his expression an unholy contortion between fear and arousal, “Ch...Ch-Chara p-please…” He gasps and feels his hips jerk forward as they rub their thumb around his notch, choking on a breath and giving a frustrated moan, shutting his eyes.

“Please what?” They say, licking up his thigh once more. 

His legs twitch and he pushes his hips forward again, clenching his teeth and ducking his head, “....i...i w...i w-want t...t-to finish..” His voice is barely above a whisper, but his thoughts, screaming at him for being so weak and easily controlled, seem louder than necessary. Like he isn’t already feeling incredibly ashamed of himself for giving in. 

“What was that?” They ask, licking teasingly at his notch.

Sans falls silent, not sure if he can bear to say that again.

Chara rolls their eyes, raising an eyebrow at him, “Sans. Giving in is the smartest thing you can do here. Do you really think I’m going to stop because you’re being stubborn? Whether or not you actually want this doesn’t matter to me - I only care to see what it takes to get you to give in physically. There’s nothing to be ashamed of for giving into stimuli. It’s not like you would be able to do that for forever.”

Sans keeps his eyes turned away as he finds himself considering this. It’s only going to get worse if he keeps being stubborn...and God knows how much pathetic begging they’ll be able to get out of him if they make him feel even more desperate.

“...s-so long as you get the m-message that...i s-still...really hate you…” Sans says through his teeth.

They just laugh, and lick quickly around his notch before going back to his thigh. Sans cries out, tilting his chin back and groaning through his teeth, breath hitching and eyes going glassy, “gg-gh...hff... _ mmph _ ..! Ch-Chara j-just…!” He yelps as they grab his hips and start sucking on his pubis,  _ “f-fuck _ !” 

“Just what?” They ask, pausing briefly.

“p...p-please f-finish me…” He stammers, forcing himself to keep from whispering so he won’t be forced to repeat himself.

“How badly do you want me to?” They ask smirking.

Sans moans, shutting his eyes, “p-please..!”

“Come on, tell me how bad you need it~”

“ _ Chara i fucking swear _ -!”

They resume sucking on his pubis, running their tongue along the bone in their mouth. Sans gives a whine, rolling his eyes back and awkwardly jerking his hips up, panting, “ngh…”

“Tell me how bad you need it~” Chara repeats, pulling away.

“u-uh...b..b-badly…?”

They chuckle. “Doesn't sound like it.”

Sans shivers, arching his back and moaning again, tongue lolling out, “u-uh...mph…”

“Come on, beg for it~” They prompt.

Apparently when it comes to sacrificing dignity it’s all or nothing. “g-gh...Ch...Ch-Chara p-please i c...i c-can’t stand it..!” He pants, giving a sharp cry when he comes close and they pull back again,  _ “ngh! _ ”

They laugh. “You can do much better than that~”

Sans shakes his head, in a moment of desperation trying to access his teleportation and getting a sharp shock from the amulet. He chokes on a scream of pain, panting and staring at his neck in bewilderment. It’s never shocked him for trying to teleport before.

Chara clicks their tongue. “Running away is not an option~”

“i d-don’t know wh-what you w-want…!”

“I want you begging desperately.” They say as they return to teasing his pelvis.

“ghk-!” Sans chokes down another moan, ducking his chin to his sternum and breathing forcefully.

_ ‘fucking  _ **_look at yourself_ ** _ you pathetic piece of  _ **_shit_ ** _ you’re  _ **_letting this happen_ ** _ you’re just sitting here and  _ **_letting it happen_ ** _ and you’re  _ **_liking it_ ** _ , you disgusting  _ **_freak_ ** _ …’ _

Sans goes deathly silent at the threat of tears, freezing up and devoting his attention to keeping his eyes shut too tightly for any tell-tale drops from leaking out.

They start sucking on him again.

“p-please f-fuck me!” Sans forces out, letting his voice crack and pretending it’s out of desperation and not the urge to sob like a baby, “i n-need it i n-need to f-finish y-you’re driving m-me crazy i need you t-to finish me,  _ p-please _ !”

“Very well, my little whore.” They scold as they stimulate him faster, letting him finish. “Such a thirsty little slut hmm?”

Sans gives a weak, pathetic scream as he climaxes, immediately turning away from them as they let the chains dissipate, putting his fist in front of his mouth and breathing harshly against his hand.  _ ‘don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry…’ _

“It sure took you a while to beg properly. You enjoyed being teased like a little slut?”

_ “shut the f-fuck up _ !” Sans snaps, voice breaking as he ducks his head under his hands, trembling, “shut  _ up _ ! i hate you! i d-didn’t fucking mean  _ any of it _ ! you know i didn’t! it’s all fake!  _ it’s all fake it doesn’t mean anything!”  _ He grinds his fist into the mattress, chest heaving, “it d-doesn’t m-mean...a-anything..!”

“Suuure. Admit it, you enjoyed it like the slut you are~”

Sans sits up, grabbing the amulet and breaking it off the chain before teleporting away to his room in Snowdin, dropping to the ground and finally letting himself cry.

Chara stood, momentarily surprised before they chuckle, and pick up the broken pieces of the amulet, repairing it with their magic. They briefly look at the time, 7:45. His shift starts in a couple hours, he may have time to himself.

 

_ ‘i gotta go back..’  _ Sans tells himself as he lays numbly on the floor, wrapped up in the blanket from his bed and staring blankly at the wall across from him.  _ ‘i’ll just get in worse trouble if i don’t go back. i’m already in deep shit for taking off that stupid trinket. i can’t add to that.’ _

It’s 8:40. He needs to get up. He needs to get dressed. He needs to be there. He should be there early, holding his chin high and making eye contact, grinning and letting them know that their stupid insults and accusations aren’t enough to rattle him. That it takes more than forced arousal to make him cower in shame.

_ ‘get up, Sans...get up and go to your stupid job…’  _ The skeleton shuts his eyes tightly and curls up, hiding his head under the blankets,  _ ‘you’re making things worse for yourself. you know that, right? of course you do. are you just being a masochistic  _ **_slut_ ** _ like they were calling-’ _

Sans sits up abruptly, eyes wide. Those had been his  _ own thoughts _ ...not that they had ever really been on his side before but hearing his own voice in his head spitting out those words…

Trembling, he kicks the blanket off of himself and stumbles to his feet, going over to his dresser and pulling open the drawers. He pulls out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, covering up his naked body and hiding himself away in one of Papyrus’s jackets that he never wore and thus was now Sans’s jacket. It falls to his knees and the hood covers about half his face. Good.

Breathing in, Sans shuts his eyes and teleports to back outside the castle courtyard. He pushes his way inside the large doors and grabs up the first stack of paperwork he sees, not caring if it’s meant for him or not. He sits at one of the desks in the far back corner, hiding under his oversized hoodie and scribbling useless marks over the pages as he tries to pull his mind out from the dark corner it’d tucked itself into in an effort to forget about...pretty much everything that had happened this morning.

Eventually he pulls himself together enough to be pushing aside one piece of completed work every twenty minutes. He sees no sign of Chara, and just prays that they don’t have any intention of tormenting him any further today.

“Sans?”

He shoves back in his chair, bracing his hands on the desk and shaking his head, “no no no no no not any more not today,  _ please _ -”

“Sans.”

Daring to look up, Sans sees the face of the castle ‘spy’ looking back down at him. The usually expressionless flower looks concerned. He must be acting especially pathetic, in that case. “...oh. h-hey there, nightlight...how..h-how’s it...going…?”

“Sans…” ECHO repeats, frowning at him, “I could sense your distress from the other side of the hall.”

“...you...you sense distress…?”

“Yes. Why do you think I have spoken to you so often?”

“...uh..twice?”

“That’s often for me.”

“...right.” Sans leans back, keeping his eyes down, “...i’m fine.”

“That’s a lie.” ECHO says immediately, “Though I’m not sure you’ve ever been able to say that truthfully. Sans...why are you so sad?”

Closing his eyes, Sans slowly rests his face in his hands as he puts his elbows on the desk, giving a forced laugh, “why would you care?”

ECHO pauses, tilting her head. “...I don’t know. I suppose it’s because I’ve never felt such...deep anxiety before. I’ve heard many, many voices pass through my flowers. Many monsters crying for many reasons…” Her brow furrows. “..but you never cry. Yet you seem so much more distraught than any other.”

“oh so just morbid curiosity, huh?” Sans asks dryly, digging his thumbs into his skull.

“I want to help you.”

He cracks a grin, “heh...no one can help me, nightlight.” Sans stands up, pushing his chair back and stepping around the desk, “don’t spend your time thinking about me. trust me - it’s a waste.”

Sans pushes his way out of the room, not having even partially completed his work, and heads to the right wing of the castle, hoping to retrieve his jacket. If he encounters Chara, well...he’ll just take whatever punishment they have waiting for him and get it over with. Beats being dragged away from a crowded room and listening to the giggling and gossip - right now it feels like having to pretend he’s happy is far worse than just being broken into pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably takes time building up an numbing immunity to new, psychologically scarring events


	9. You're Still Just a Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is just a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for some pillOW FUCKING I SURE AM

“Sans, hold still.” Chara scolds for the umpteenth time as Sans gives a violent jolt under their touch, “Or should I restrain you?”

Sans mutters a swear into the pillow he’s holding tightly in his arms, burying his face in deeper and not responding. 

“Answer.” They demand, pulling him back over to them when he unconsciously tries to squirm out of their grip.

“i’m  _ trying _ to hold still.” He responds through his teeth, curling up his toes and shivering as he senses their fingers on his bare pelvis again. “you’re not exactly making it easy!”

After last time, the Prinx had been wise enough to figure that they wouldn’t be able to get Sans back into any sort of ‘romantic’ mood whatsoever anytime soon.

But Sans’s shift hours are still theirs to use, and so they have decided they are going to use today to update his page in their journal.

A ‘completely detached, purely scientific analysis’ of his body, they’d promised. And it was turning out to be just as creepy and uncomfortable as it had sounded. He’s face-down into the mattress of 202’s bed, his knees bent and pulled close to his head as Chara explores his exposed lower body, documenting every reaction.

“Would you rather I restrain you?”

“ _ no  _ i wouldn’t ‘rather’ that.” He snaps, digging his fingers into the mattress and wiping off the sweat from his forehead onto the pillowcase, huffing.

They shrug, and return to inspecting and trailing their fingers over the bones of his thighs. Sans goes as stiff as possible, breathing in slowly and holding his breath. Their thumb traces the curve of his illum and he chokes on a gasp.

“Hm…’moderately sensitive on thighs - stroking outer hip bones elicits a more immediate reaction’.”

“would you  _ stop  _ t-talking…?!” Sans wheezes, gritting his teeth tightly, “no need to make this creepier than it already  _ is _ , you know!” 

“Do I need to gag you?”

“does that i mean i don’t have to answer your stupid ‘scale of 1 to 10 questions’?”

“Ah, right. On a scale of 1 to 10, how pleasurable-”

“gag me.  _ please _ .” 

“You know, I’m having second thoughts ab-”

_ “one million bottles of beer on the wall, one million bottles of b-!” _

He is launched into a coughing fit as his airway starts to close. He only makes it worse when he starts laughing, depriving himself further of oxygen as he goes limp against the mattress, shaking and wheezing.

After a minute he can breathe again.

“You are really irking, you know that?” The Prinx says, smirking.

“khf..h-heh...i...try... _ kffk _ !” Sans’s shoulders slowly stop shaking as he swallows in deep breaths of air, gradually relaxing.

“Clearly.” Once he has calmed down, Chara resumes their inspection. Sans shuts his eyes tightly and goes back to trying to be quiet and still. Chara had actually requested that he try to keep himself muffled, so they could know when they really found a ‘sweet spot’ as they called it.

_ “ah _ !” Such as there. “f-fuck…” Sans bites into the pillow in his arms, squeezing his eyes shut tighter and curling up his fists.

They play with that spot awhile longer before writing it down. “I hope you know the trouble I went through for you - I had to search out an old biology textbook for humans, just to get a more thorough understanding of skeleton anatomy. This…” They run their finger over the rim of an opening near his tailbone, smirking at the wheeze of a gasp this gets them, “Is referred to as a ‘notch’...I suppose you could consider it your main entrance, really.”

“that’s super fucking fascinating.” Sans snaps, pushing his face further into the pillow and trying to suffocate himself.

They chuckle, and add a little spark to their fingers as they trace along his pelvis. Sans yelps, crying out and trying to ignore the heat in his face as his eyes shoot wide open, going glassy, “n-ngh…”

“Ooo~” They hum as their fingers start going faster.

“h- _ ha _ ! ghhk!” Sans arches his back and gives a drawn out groan, his hips briefly thrusting forward against the mattress.

“I take it that’s an 8 on the pleasure scale?”

“g-go fuck yourself…”

“Want me to give you oral again? From how you enjoyed it, I’d rate that a nine.”

“yeah  _ please  _ j-jeer me about bein’ a whore again for getting raped...th-that was super fun…”

“If you insist~” They say, dragging his spread legs closer and lowering their head.

_ “no _ ! get your fucking tongue away from me!” Sans snaps, practically hissing.

They pull back, sighing, “Well then how do you suggest I satisfy you? It's hard to get accurate results if you're already so heated.”

“that is just too damn fucking bad.”

Chara purses their lips, observing his quivering hips and his death grip on the pillow in his arms. A wicked smirk crosses their face. “Hmmm...well, you  _ are _ already acting like a bitch.. “

“excuse me?”

“And you seem to have gotten  _ quite _ close to that pillow...”

“....what…?” Sans finds himself not liking their tone.

“Might as well consummate.” They mock , sitting up.

“wh-what the fuck are you talking about…” Sans pants, trying to take his mind off the burning need in his bones.

“You don't want me fucking you, you don't want to fuck me, so why not fuck the pillow?” They smirk.

“oh you're hilarious.” Sans mutters.

“I'm serious. Fuck the pillow.”

“uh...no?”

They grab his leg, and a sudden, intense arousal flows through him. “Yes.” They say, grabbing the cushion from his arms and pulling it down between his legs.

“ _ gah _ !” Sans finds himself grinding his hips against the pillow for a few seconds but he forces himself to stop. He tries to get up from his straddling position but Chara chains his ankles and wrists down to the bed before he can escape, “fucking-!”

Chuckling, the Prinx sits back, taking the pen from their journal binding, “‘New experiment: how much stimulation does the subject require before it starts humping inanimate objects like an animal in heat?’”

“go to  _ hell! _ ” Sans chokes, body quivering as he tries not to think about how intensely the thick cushion is pressing against his groin, his short legs barely still touching the mattress. He tries not to move, grinding his teeth and feeling his chest shudder. 

They trail sparking fingers up both of his thighs. “Go on, no need to be shy~”

“g-gh!” Sans braces his sweaty forehead against the pillow, hips twitching forward just slightly.

“I don't find it disgusting if that's what you're worried about.” They coo, knowing full well that it's not, “I actually find it rather arousing to watch~”

Sans groans as their finger strokes down his lower spine, drawing his shoulders in and gulping, “n-nh... _ why _ …”

“Seeing you so desperate is hilarious.” They say with a grin, before trailing their fingers slowly along his tailbone, pushing him gradually and enjoying every pained whimper he gives as he continues struggling to stay in control.

“nh...mph…...h-hf..” Sans feels a drop of sweat slip down his temple as he stares down at the mattress, begging himself not to lose it. Then they brace a hand over his rear and start pushing his hips against the pillow. It only takes a few pushes before he takes over, gasping and rutting against the cushion desperately.

“Don’t come unless I say so.” They say, watching amused at his desperation.

Sans ignores them, just humping harder and faster in order to end his humiliation. 

Just before he can climax, his body freezes against his will. “I didn’t say you could come yet~” They say as they tease his pubis.

He cries out, panting and struggling to move against their magic, feeling frustrated tears prick at the corners of his eyes. In spite of his efforts, all he manages to do is weakly wriggle his hips. He gasps, breathing hard through his teeth. 

“You were going to disobey me were you not?” They ask, slowly licking a small stripe along his thigh.

“ _ ghg! _ Ch-Chara just fucking-!” He keeps trying to fight their hold to no success.

“Answer the question.”

“ _ yes _ i was ignoring you!”

“Hmm, you're a naughty boy aren't you?”

Sans tries ignoring them again, shutting his eyes tightly and fighting still. 

“Answer me~” 

_ “yeahsurewhatever!”  _

“If I let you go will you be good?”

“ _ yeah fine _ !” Sans snaps, face burning in anger and humiliation.

The Prinx's eyes narrow, “I don't appreciate your tone, Sans.”

“th-that’s a real f-fucking shame!”

“For you maybe~” They shake their head, “You must enjoy frustration - I was just going to make you promise to behave. Now you're going to have to beg me to let you rut like a bitch~”

Sans yelps as they run their fingers around the rim of his notch, choking on a moan and trying yet harder to move. But he can't. 

“Come on, beg~”

“n-no!” Sans gasps as he feels a chain wrap around his pelvis, looking over his shoulder and seeing Chara holding onto a connecting leash, smirking at him. They let it lower for just a second, enough for him to get more frustrating friction before pulling him back.

“What a desperate, horny little bitch~” Chara mocks, laughing at the whine Sans gives. 

“ _ gah!  _ Ch-Chara j-just-!”

“Beg for it like the slut you are.” They mock, letting him down for a little bit longer before lifting him up again.

Sans quivers, his face burning in humiliation as he continues to be repeatedly dipped and brought back up the longer he stays stubborn. When they drop him for a few seconds longer than usual, he breaks when they yank him back up. 

“ _ ngh _ ! Chara p-please!” He cries out, his hips still thrusting even as he's kept just far enough to keep from touching the pillow.

“Please what?”

“l..l-let me rut…”

“Alright.” They say as they drop the chain for a bit, watching him rut desperately before lifting him again before he can even near climax.

“ _ ghk _ ! Chara-!” He clutches at the cushion, almost not caring how ridiculous he looks with his hips being held up as though he's presenting himself.

“I gave you what you asked for~”

“let me finish!”

“Show me how desperate you are. Convince me. Beg.For.It.”

Appropriately a whine escapes him as another forceful shock of pleasure is administered, and he chokes on a cry, humping the space above the pillow, “ _ gh _ ! Ch-Chara please! p-please let m-me finish..!” He shuts his eyes, sniffing and swallowing back a sob, “l...l-let me r-rut l-like a b-bitch…” He whispers.

The chain dissipates. Sans falls into the cushion and humps it frantically, trying to ignore the Prinx as they move to sit in front of him. But they force his chin up and make eye contact as he ruts, their smirk growing with every frantic moan that escapes him. “Louder.”

“mmuh...nh...h-ha...mmm...mmh...f-fuck... _ o-oh _ …” His eyes roll back and his breathing stops as he starts grinding faster, panting breathlessly and then coming with a yelp and a cry, collapsing onto the mattress and gasping in air.

Chara gives him a moment to catch his breath before dissipating his restraints. “Now, back to work.” They say with a smirk, flipping him onto his back and inspecting his pelvis once more. “Lift your legs.”

Swallowing, Sans lifts his legs up to give them clearer access, not saying a word. He obligingly moans and squirms as they poke and prod at his body, answering their questions in as few words as possible in a small voice. 

Lesson learned.

 

_ “SANS! SANS RUN! PLEASE JUST RUN!” _

_ “Papyrus!” Sans screamed as he tried to reach down the cliffside, the furiously cold Snowdin air threatening to push him off as well, “b-bro i got you! i-i can….y-you just gotta reach!” _

_ “SANS I  _ **_CAN’T_ ** _! PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND TELL THE OTHERS! ONE OF US HAS TO MAKE IT BACK!” _

_ “ _ **_why can’t it be you?!”_ ** _ Sans yelled, tears freezing against his cheekbones, “wh-why can’t it always be you?! i’m the useless one!” _

_ “SANS…” Papyrus looked over to the side as he could hear the Prinx’s corrupted guards approaching from the distance, “BROTHER, I LOVE YOU…” _

_ “P...P-Paps don’t you dare let go!” Sans choked, trying to grab onto his brother’s SOUL with his magic, but finding himself too exhausted, “ _ don’t you dare-!”

_ Papyrus shut his tear-filled sockets and released his grip from the rocky wall. Sans’s screams were drowned out by the howling wind. The older brother punched the ground, sobbing and feeling his entire body beginning to tremble. Not again...not  _ again _ …! How many times has he lost his brother now? _

_ He heard the clanking of heavy metal armor, and forced himself to his feet, weeping and starting to push his way against the wind, wrapping his arms tightly over himself. And then he stopped, gritting his teeth as he pried open his eyes and glared at the silhouettes in the distance. He could see Prinx Chara’s robes billowing out from behind them as they slowly approached, and he could imagine the smug, evil grin on their face. _

_ ….what was the point… _

_ Sans looked back over his shoulder, “...i’m sorry Paps...you know how hard i always try for you…” He gave a weak glare at the still small figure of the Prinx in front of him, backing up, “...but you’re not here now…” He puts his face in his hands, forcing a weak smile, “...you will be when i wake up, though…” Taking in a breath, Sans turned and followed his brother, just like he always would. _

 

_ The world went dark, only for him to wake up to blinding bright lights. Sans shuts his eyes, turning his head away from the source and moving to put his arms over his face.  _

_ However he finds that his arms don’t move an inch, restricted by something. His breath hitches in panic and he cracks open one eye, straining to see. He can hear his breathing echoing around him.  _

_ His eyes start to adjust, and he sees that the source of light is a bright lamps shining onto him like a spotlight. _

_ “..wh...wh-what the fuck…” He turns his head left and right, trying to get a glimpse of his surroundings.  _

_ It's dark all around, but he can see he is strapped down to a table. _

_ A pair of gloved hands enter his vision from above his head. They reposition his head and strap it in place as well. _

_ “wh...wh-who’s th-there…?” He chokes out, tugging at the restraints on his wrists, “wh-where am i wh-what are you doing to me?!” _

_ He feels the hands rub at his arms, causing him to shiver reflexively. There's no answer. _

_ “let...l-let me go. let me go  _ **_right now_ ** _!” His voice cracks as he starts fighting harder against the binds holding him in place, “h-help!  _ s-somebody help!  _ get me out of here!” _

_ The hands slowly move up from his arms, and caress his cheekbones. “Nobody can hear you!” The voice is quiet, and hard to distinguish. _

_ He flinches at the intimate touch, “wh-what do you w-want…” _

_ He hears a chuckle. “Subject B frightened, responds to gentle touching negatively. It asked me what I want. A rather vague question, but I hypothesize it’s bartering for its life.”  _

_ He hears the slight scrape of pencil on a notebook. _

_ “....Chara…” Sans spits out their name like it's the vilest taste on his tongue, gritting his teeth and feeling his sockets go black.  _

_ They walk out from behind him,and into his field of view, their expression blank. _

_ “Subject B was able to recognize me much quicker than subject A.” They say, taking a pencil and pad of paper out of the front pocket of their labcoat, and write as they speak. _

_ “fucking...human  _ freak _!” Sans feels the straps on his wrists cut into his marrow as he spits at them, burning with rage. _

_ “Also appears to have a prejudice against humans.” They stop near his legs, and starts rubbing his shins. _

_ “th-this isn't the way to go about getting clients for a physical therapy clinic, y’know...what with it bein’  _ **_illegal_ ** _ and creepy as all fuck…” _

_ They walk over to his side, trailing a finger up his leg, and stopping just before his pelvis. _

_ “what the fuck do you think you're doing?” Sans growls. _

_ “Subject B continues to grow hostile. “ They observe, expression completely emotionless as they tease his inner thighs. _

_ “ _ answer me _!” Sans shouts in an effort to ignore the heat building up in his face.  _

_ He might as well have been talking to a brick wall, as they move from his thighs to his hips, ignoring his pelvis. _

_ “fucking…” Sans shuts his eyes and goes stubbornly limp as if asleep, returning the favor of ignoring them.  _

_ Their hands move to his ribs, trailing along each one. Sans shudders, breathing catching, “stop..” _

_ They continue, expression empty. He is so used to their false expressions, their smirk. It’s surprisingly more frightening to see their face blank, and more focused on his body than him. _

_ He truly is nothing to them. They don't even bother meeting his eyes, or throwing a taunt. _

_ Their hand brushes over his sternum. _

_ Sans jolts, swallowing, “j-just tell me what you want…” _

_ They continue to toy with his sternum with one hand, while the other travels down his spine. _

_ “come  _ **_on_ ** _ just tell me what the hell you want! give me two goddamn words just tell me what you're doing..” _

_ “Subject appears to get increasingly agitated.” They observe, pausing to write it down. _

_ “you think you're a scientist or something?” _

_ “NEVERMIND THE AGITATION. IT'S A NORMAL EFFECT OF A LIVING EXPERIMENT AS SEEN WITH SUBJECT A.” _

_ “Yes sir.” Chara responds to the unseen voice. _

_ Sans goes tense, sockets widening, “ _ **_no_ ** _ …” _

_ “PROCEED.” _

_ Chara nods, and starts teasing his pelvis. _

_ “no. no no no no no no  _ **_no no_ ** **no no** -! _ ” _

_ Sans thrashes violently, screaming and suddenly finding himself stumbling forward, his dress shoes snapping smartly against the castle floor. He looks around at the dazzling lights and soft music, unnerved as he watches monsters spin in place, bodies and expressions frozen into smiles like eerie figures on a music box. Glancing down at himself, Sans notes the absence of restraints and immediately begins pushing his way out of the crowd towards the exit, vest feeling tight as he tries not to hyperventilate.  _

_ He trips over someone's foot, and he falls flat onto the ground. Laughter echoes around him, when everything suddenly freezes. A hand enters his view. “Need a hand?” _

_ Sans looks up.  _

_ All he sees is short brown hair as his hands are taken,lifting him to his feet.  _

_ “u-uh...thanks…” _

_ “Care for a dance?” Chara asks with a smirk, meeting his gaze. _

_ Sans glances over his shoulder, noting every eye trained on them. He can't turn them down with everyone watching. He has to keep up this stupid act.  _

_ Sans shifts his jaw and takes their other hand. “..sure.” _

_ He hears whispers. _

_ “Lucky...” _

_ “Oh my god I'm so jealous...” _

_ “Why does  _ **_he_ ** _ get to dance with them?” _

_ The envious eyes of the crowd continue to stare as Chara leads him to the center of the ballroom. _

_ “...wow, front and center, huh…” Sans shifts his jaw anxiously, “i’m...not that great..” _

_ “Nonsense, just follow my lead.” They say pulling him into the closed dance position. _

_ “yeah sure no problem.” He mutters, keeping his eyes on the floor. _

_ He is then pulled into a fast paced waltz, and he constantly finds himself tripping. Chara chuckles. “Can’t keep up?” _

_ Sans yanks his hands free, chest rising and falling rapidly. “y-yeah, look, i..yeah i’m danced out. b-bye…” Sans turns quickly on his heels and leaving.  _

_ Someone in the crowd pushes him back towards Chara. “Don’t be rude!” The monster chastises, _

_ Chara takes his hand once more, this time with a grip like iron. “They are expecting us~” _

_ “wh...wh-why though?” Sans forces a nervous laugh, eyelights shrinking. “i wanna go h-home, i’m tired..” _

_ “You just got here~” _

_ “P..l-look, i g...i g-gotta leave…” _

_ They give an insulted look. “Very well.” They drop his hands, and walk away. The crowds’ gaze turns menacing, and they part to reveal Papyrus. Sans draws in his shoulders, ducking his head and avoiding the crowd's eyes.  _

_ Papyrus walks up to him, looking very upset. “SANS! I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. YOU WERE RUDE TO OUR VERY OWN PRINX!” _

_ Sans stops, blinking, “.th...they were makin’ me uncomfortable, Paps..” _

_ “ALL THEY WANTED WAS A DANCE. THEY EVEN HELPED YOU UP WHEN YOU TRIPPED OVER THEM.” _

_ “th...P-Paps, th...look, i..i-i’ll talk to you later, okay…?” Sans lowers his head further, trying to move faster to the exit which looked miles away. _

_ “YOU ARE SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT!” _

_ Sans freezes up at the bitter poison in his brother’s tone.  _

_ “YOU CAN NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT! EVEN BEFORE THE PRINX SO GENEROUSLY GAVE US THESE JOBS YOU WERE SUCH A LAZY BONES! YOU BARELY DID ANYTHING THEN, AND YOU BARELY DO ANYTHING NOW! DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING RIGHT?!” _

_ Sans turns around, tilting his chin up and cowering as he sees that he’s shrunk down impossibly small, staring up at Papyrus, the crowd members, and the Prinx, whose heads seem to reach the high ceiling, “P...P-Paps, i...y...i s-swear i try…” _

_ The crowd starts jeering, some aimed at Papyrus. _

_ “Now your brother will never have friends.” Chara says, sneering. _

_ “s-stop it!” Sans tries to reach Papyrus, only for Chara to pick him up by the scruff of his dress shirt pinched between their fingers - he’s even smaller than their hand now, “put me down!  _ put me down _! P-Paps, help me!” _

_ Papyrus turns in shame at the sight of Sans. The crowd continues to glare as Chara puts him in their palm and starts to close their hand.  _

_ Sans’s eyes widen. “no...n-no no no i-i’m sorry i’m  _ **_sorry_ ** _ no-!” _

_ The world goes dark as their hand shuts out the world. _

 

_ “DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD BE RID OF ME FOREVER?”  _

_ The voice from his past echoes around him. _

_ “you’re dead...you’re  _ **_dead_ ** _ i  _ **_killed you you’re dead_ ** _ -!” _

“Sans can you hear us?”

“He’s not responding, get an infirmary bed ready, dear…”

_ Sans feels pressure on his arms and legs and starts fighting furiously against the grip, feeling his eye burning, “ _ **_no_ ** _! you’re dead you’re fucking  _ **_dead you can’t hurt me anymore you can’t hurt anybody_ ** _ -!” _

_ “NOT QUITE.” _

_ “ _ **_let go of me!”_ **

“We need to administer a sedative…”

“I don’t know how to administer that to a skeleton...except through his SOUL but…”

_ “ _ **_let go let go let go!”_ **

 

Sirona bites her lip as she holds him down.

“Should we move him to the other bed?” Kennie asks as she takes out his SOUL. This only seems to make him flail worse.

“Yeah I think that’s a better idea.” Sirona grunts. She picks up the panicked skeleton and carries him to the backroom, and places him on a bed with restraints. Kennie follows close behind.

“Help me strap him down.” Sirona orders. Kennie nods and the two quickly restrain him.

He continues screaming, and the nurses jump a bit when they hear a soft voice calling “Hello?” from the doorway. They look up to see ECHO standing in front of the bed, staring at Sans in concern.

“Uh, hey, are you a friend?” Kennie asks, trying to inject the relaxant into his squirming SOUL.

ECHO immediately takes the shaking heart away from the younger nurse and puts it back into Sans’s chest before she can notice the fracture, “Don’t touch that. Hold him. I’ll go get his brother.” Is all ECHO says before turning and hurrying away.

“Mom, should we get the Prinx? They are together right?”

Sirona nods. “I will go get them. Stay here and keep an eye on him.” She hurries out of the room.

 

“Papyrus! Papyrus! Your brother needs you!” ECHO calls, letting her voice resound through every ECHO flower in the Underground as she hurries to Undyne’s home, having heard him heading there a few hours ago, “He's very sick. Please hurry!”

She just hopes he hears her soon.

 

_ Sans starts crying hysterically when he's unable to get himself free of whatever is restraining him, screaming for help, for the pain to stop, for  _ **_him_ ** _ to  _ stop _ because he's  _ dead _ he's  _ dead _!  _

_ “let me out!  _ **_Let me out!_ ** _ ” _

_ His vision is swirling, lights flashing, and images of his dead bother floating around him. Sans feels his throat being torn up by his screaming, eyes growing wide as he suddenly sees the Prinx's face and hears their voice over all the lights and echoes, “y-you...you  _ **_piece of shit!”_ ** He yells, eye burning furiously, “b-backstabbing, lying,  _ d-dirty brother killing psychopath!  _ get away from me! what have you done to him  _ now _ ?!  _ why can't you ever just show him MERCY?!  _ out of everybody in the Underground he deserves it the most!”

 

“It has something to do with sleep paralysis and hallucinations.” Sirona explains, as Chara inspects him curiously. How odd, this has never happened before unless...

“Oh, thats right. He requested a sleep aid, but I warned him not to take too much, lest the side effects act up. I have never seen them this b ad before, its usually just regular nightmares.”

Sirona looks him over, making sure he isn’t injuring himself in his thrashing.

“I wouldn’t recommend giving it to him again Majesty, unless he takes a very small dose.”

“I will see to it this never happens again.” they promise.

_ “get away from me! _ ” The hallucinating skeleton screams when the Prinx takes half a step closer, “don't come near me don't  _ touch me you sick freak _ !”

“Darling... it’s me, please wake up...” They murmur, but just loud enough for Sirona to hear. Sirona puts a hand on their shoulder. 

“It should leave his system soon Majesty.”

“I hope so, I worry a lot due to his low HP...”

His eyes stay locked on them, his chest rising and falling heavily. Chara sees the faint hint of an outline of a bone attack struggling to form over his head and takes the hint, heading for the door. 

“I will aid in finding his brother.” They say, exiting quickly.

Only when they disappear does Sans finally collapse against the bed again, still trembling and fighting to free himself, but not nearly as frantically, “th-they’re gone they're gone they're gone they're gone…”

Sirona starts purring comfortingly, the sound having a calming effect on Sans. He shivers, breathing gradually deepening. He shuts his eyes, and then slowly opens them again. “...S...S-Sirona...th..th-that you…?”

“Yes dear... are you awake?” She asks, leaning over him, inspecting.

“i..i-i don't know, wh…” His breathing picks up again when he tries to move his arm only to be met with resistance, “wh...wh-why am i b-bein’ restrained….”

“Relax, it was for your safety, and the safety of Kennie and I. I need to make sure you are indeed coherent before I undo the straps.” She explains calmly. She then holds up three fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Sans squints at her, but winces and shakes his head, shutting his eyes and groaning quietly at the headache this gives him. “i c..i-i don't know, i’m sorry. i d...i-i didn't hurt anybody did i…?”

“Well, not severely. Just a few scratches, but we are used to that.” She says with a chuckle.

Sans ducks his head, “...shit, i...i-i’m so s-sorry..”

“It’s fine.” She says with a smile, and leaning to start undoing the restraints.

Sans murmurs a shaky ‘thanks’ as he's freed, rubbing at his bruised wrists and hissing quietly in pain, “gah…”

“Here, lemme see?” Sirona asks as she gently takes his wrist, healing it.

Sans shuts one eye, breathing out a shaky sigh of relief, “th-thanks…”

No joke. Not even a wink or a grin. He just fumbles with the pillows (which he seems to have trouble looking at directly) and rests back against them so he's sitting up, still looking exhausted.

“BROTHER! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOUR FRIEND TOLD ME YOU WERE SICK! SHE WAS VERY WORRIED AND IT MADE ME VERY WORRIED!” Papyrus says as he bursts into the infirmary room.

Sans flinches and stammers out a swear under his breath at the sudden entrance, forcing a very weak smile, “h..h-hey bro…”

Sans is barely able to finish the greeting before he is wrapped in one of his brothers trademarked hugs. “HOW ARE YOU FEELING?”

“uh, i...i’m doin’ alright…” Sans says, voice quiet. 

“I'M GLAD. I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE HERE SOONER.”

“...uh, Paps, look, i…” Sans lowers his eyes, clinging to his brother tighter, “...i’m sorry, about…...i know i...i’m not the hardest worker or...or anything, but i...believe it or not i..i-i’m trying really hard to do a good job, here..y..you know that, right…?”

“OF COURSE I DO! I AM SO PROUD OF YOUR INITIATIVE!”

“...r...really…?”

“OF COURSE! YOU ARE MY FAVORITE BROTHER AFTER ALL!”

“...i..b-but i’m...i’m such a lazy bones, i n...i never do anything right, or on time, o-or-”

“SANS I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF YOU!”

“...h... _ how _ ? h-heh...how c-can you..how can you b-be proud of me? i..i-i’m such a disappointment…”

“SANS!” Papyrus pulls back, firmly gripping Sans’s shoulders, “I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OF YOU AS A DISAPPOINTMENT! NOT ONCE IN MY LIFE! THERE ARE TIMES WHERE I WISH YOU WOULDN'T SLEEP SO MUCH, OR WOULD JUST PICK UP YOUR SOCK!” Papyrus huffs and rolls his eyes at the weak chuckle Sans gives, “BUT I HAVE NEVER BEEN AS HAPPY WITH YOU AS I HAVE BEEN LATELY! YOU'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD! I'VE SEEN IT FOR MYSELF! EVEN THOUGH YOU MAKE MISTAKES, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M COUNTING THEM, SANS! I ONLY SCOLD YOU FOR BEING LAZY BECAUSE I WORRY ABOUT YOU! I'M...I'M SORRY IF I'VE MADE YOU THINK THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. SANS…” Papyrus wraps Sans up tightly in another hug, “THERE'S NO BROTHER IN THE UNDERGROUND AS PROUD AS I AM!”

Sans doesn't bother fighting back the tears as he feels them slipping down his face. He buries his face against Papyrus’s chest, smiling genuinely for the first time in months as he lets his big younger brother hold him, “i l-love you, Paps…”

“I LOVE YOU TOO SANS.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If nothing made sense that's alright


	10. Sick Days Ain't Worth It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara collects Sans's sick day debt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...  
>  Stuffing  
> 8'') not sorry

Being ordered bed rest seemed like a punishment to Papyrus, but Sans was quick to assure the younger brother that a break from work (and ‘work’, ugh) was more than welcome. He might have been worried about a ‘lazybones’ scolding if not for that conversation they’d just had. Papyrus immediately believed Sans when he said he  _ needed  _ rest, and that in itself was just such a relief.

Of course, being an official Royal Guard member (something nobody within Papyrus’s presence was allowed to forget), the younger skeleton couldn’t be by Sans’s bed all day. But with Sirona and Kennie constantly about, Sans wasn’t scared of Chara pulling anything drastic in his brother’s absence. Should the Prinx come in, he could always just feign sleep. And considering how worked up the two cats had gotten over his fit…

Well. ‘Smug’ was too small a word to describe the giddy sneer he hid against his pillow when he woke up and overheard Sirona dismissing Chara when they had tried to visit him while he was asleep (the sound of their voice was enough to scare him awake). The doctor and apprentice had been very polite of course in regards to telling them that they couldn’t see Sans. But somebody was telling Chara that they ‘couldn’t’, and even better somebody was keeping them away from him and  _ boy  _ was that an unhealthy reason to be happy.

But considering how rare it was, lately, for him to feel happy at  _ all _ …

He wasn’t gonna nitpick.

The next time he wakes up in the middle of his nap, though, it’s to the smell of a Grillby’s burger sitting in a paper bag next to his bed. He sits up, eying the food warily. Last time he’d woken up and eaten food he hadn’t seen served…

“...uh, hey, Siri, who...brought this?” Sans points to the bag and looks at the older cat as she passes by the door to his room.

_ ‘if it was Chara it’s going right into the trash bin.’  _ He’s never in any sort of mood to get randomly drugged up, but he literally doesn’t think he’d be able to physically take it if he got aphrodisiac-ed out of his mind right now. Or whatever the hell else kind of poison Chara might have used. 

“Oh, your friend came by and dropped it off. She said you might be feeling hungry after sleeping for so long.” The doctor paused by his door, smiling and folding her arms in front of herself.

“...my friend.” Because he has a lot of those. “uh, which one?”

“The flower woman - her name is ECHO? Or at least I’m fairly certain it is.”

“ECHO…” Was ECHO  _ also  _ the ‘your friend’ Papyrus had been referring to that had told him Sans was sick? “...alright. thanks, doc.” Sans picks up the paper bag full of greasy sin and places it in his lap, “....next time she stops by you can let her in to see me. even if i’m asleep.”

At the look the doctor gives him, Sans realizes that probably seems suspicious, considering he hasn’t asked to see Chara when everyone thinks they’re dating. “i, uh...just wanted to tell her ‘thanks’ real quick, for fetching my bro…”

Sirona nods in understanding, “Ah, that was her? I should thank her as well - I’m not sure anyone else could have entirely calmed you down. Kennie and I informed the Prinx, but even they were unable to reach you in your state…”

Yeeaaahhhh because if anybody was going to calm him down from a fit of nightmares it was gonna be the primary antagonist from said nightmares.

Sans forces a laugh, “ha, yeah, well...Paps has that effect on me.” He unwraps his burger and pretends not to notice the look of disapproval on the doctor’s face as he bites into the junk food. “thanks doc.”

“Of course, dear. Rest well.”

 

Sans taps his fingers against the bedsheets as ECHO watches him, sitting in a chair next to his bed and tilting her head at him. He'd asked her to come in and have a seat but that had been a few minutes ago and he still hasn't said a word.

“......so, uh…” Sans finally begins, “...thank you for bringing Paps.” Sans says, looking up at the ceiling and scratching his chin, “and for the Grillby’s.”

ECHO nods, “You're welcome.”

“...yeah that's. that's all i wanted to say.”

“Did they fracture you?”

Sans freezes up like a block of ice, shoulders lifting and eyes flickering up to the camera in the corner of the room. “excuse me?”

ECHO follows his gaze and goes silent for a moment before looking back down at him. “...I asked if you liked your burger.”

Sans very reluctantly relaxes, “...yeah. how'd you know i like Grillby’s?” He asks as casually as possible.

“I have many echoes of you saying so.” She explains, “I thought it might make you feel better.”

“..heh. well, it did hit the spot.”

“Which one?”

Sans gives her an odd look, trying not to laugh as he points to his stomach, “this one.” He says as seriously as possible.

“Good. That's the one I was aiming for.”

He waits until she gives him a small smile before laughing, shaking his head. “why though?”

Her smile drops and she tilts her head, “Why not?”

“c’mon, nightlight, don't...do that question with a question thing...why've you been so nice to me, huh? not like i’ve ever done anything for you…”

“I care about you, Sans. I know you don't know me nearly as much as I know you, through every echo of you that I've heard, but...I'd like to be friends. I want to help you…”

Sans’s weary smile grows wearier. He glances again at the camera and shakes his head. “...sorry, nightlight…” He picks up the paper bag from Grillby’s and smooths it out casually, “just isn't in the stars right now. i’m busy with work, you're busy with...spying, i guess? so uh...no, sorry, we can't be friends.” He tosses her the trash and rolls onto his side so his back is facing her. “throw that out for me, will you?”

ECHO stares at the brown bag, squinting at the thin black lines scribbled across it. 

_ ‘im just trying 2 protect u. srry.’ _

“Sleep well, Sans…” ECHO takes his hand, and a blue pulse of calming magical energy flows into him. 

He sighs and goes limp, eyes closing. “mph...thanks nightlight..”

Sans passes out before she even leaves the room. 

 

“Sans, time to wake up~”

He opens one eye, and then the other, sitting up and putting a hand to his head. “...huh…” Sans murmurs, not seeming to really notice the human in front of him. 

He feels a hand caress his cheek.”Saaans, your shift is starting~”

Sans jolts away from their touch, swearing under his breath and getting out of bed, tugging down his hoodie. “fine.” Is all he gives them before stumbling out of the infirmary, holding his head and keeping one eye shut. 

Chara chuckles, and follows after him. His shoulders lift as they step in closer, taking his arm and steering him towards 202. They practice zero subtlety, paying no mind to the stares and whispers while Sans tries to shrink in on himself in shame. 

They usher him in, locking the door behind them. They waste no time in taking off their top robe. Sans keeps his back turned towards them, shifting his jaw and crossing his arms tightly.

“i’m waiting.” He informs, glaring at them as they step in front of him.

“Waiting for what?” They say as they push him onto the bed.

“oh i dunno, an  **_apology_ ** ?!” Sans snaps, shoving them back when they reach for his arm. “‘gosh Sans sorry for giving you a drug that i promised would have zero negative side effects that nearly caused you to scratch out my nurse’s eyes’?! that’d be a good start!”

“It’s not my fault you are so weak as to amplify the supposed to be minor withdrawal symptoms.”

“maybe if you weren’t a fucking idiot you would have  _ thought of that _ !”

“Forgive me for never thinking to test it on the only monster in the underground with 1hp. I tested it on many other monsters, even children.” They retort, pulling off his jacket.

“you’re fucking  _ sick _ ..” Sans snarls, kicking out at them, “get  _ away _ from me you freak!”

They pin him down easily. “Don’t make me restrain you.”

“i’m not in the mood for this, Chara!” Sans yells, a bit of fear leaking into his tone in spite of himself. He’s never in the mood for this...after those really horrible nightmares about them, though...especially not.

“You missed several workdays, you need to make up for it, don’t you think?”

Sans grits his teeth, “i missed  _ two days  _ because i was too weak to even  _ walk  _ because  _ you fucking poisoned me _ !”

“I didn’t poison you. Your SOUL poisoned you.”

_ “Would you pull your head out of your ass and just admit you fucked up for once?!” _

“It should be fine if I just lower the dosage.” They say, pulling on his shirt.

_ “no _ ! i’m not taking that shit again!” Sans spits, “i had nightmares every time i shut my eyes when i was recovering!” Except right after ECHO’s visit but he doesn’t need them to know that, “see if i ever take ‘help’ from you again!”

“It wasn’t supposed to be that severe.” Chara growls, pulling his shirt over his head. “You have to admit though, the night before you slept better than ever.”

“it wasn’t fucking worth- _ stop stripping me i’m not going to fuck you _ !”

“That’s what you think.” They say as they start pulling down his shorts.

Sans tightly crosses his arms and glares at the ceiling, staying stiff.

“I  _ can _ just give you a triple dose, keeping you in the dungeon while I observe~”

Sans says nothing, although he grips his arms tighter.

“Well?”

“...not gonna fuck you.” He mumbles. 

“Nightmares it is.” They say as they take out the vial.

His jaw tightens but it's easily forced open with their magic. Sans chokes on the sickly sweet liquid, coughing weakly and making a gargled protest when they pour in three times as much as last time. They cork the vial and watch with a smirk as his eyes go glassy and his stiff posture melts. 

 

Sans wakes up in a dungeon cell. He blinks slowly, testing his freedom of movement and finding he's sitting down with his arms held against the wall. 

“..mph..’yrus…?” He calls out, letting his head rest back against the cold stone, “Paps…?”

“You want him here with you? I am able to do that~”

“...oh..’s you, Chara…” Sans mumbles, one eye opening, “...why’s it so cold…?”

“You're in the dungeon. Can't have your night terrors scare the entire castle can we?”

Sans glares mildly at them, giving a grumpy ‘nnoo..’ like a child being forced to admit the obvious. 

“You have been asleep a little over 24 hours. Your nightmares are going to be hell unless I give you another dose before you fall back asleep. Now is your chance to redeem yourself.”

“...just wanted you t’say  _ sorry _ ..”

Chara smirks. “And what will you do for me if I apologise?”

“i won't be’s pissed.”

“Your emotional state is irrelevant to me. Surely you know this by now?”

“‘s should be...lot less trouble if you jus’... _ tried _ to care…’st a little?”

“Nah.”

Sans shakes his head, sighing and shifting himself closer to the wall, “..f-fuck, i can’t...i c-can’t think straight…’m fucking  _ loopy _ …”

“What are you going to do for me? Last chance~”

Sans sighs, “fine, i’ll fuck you or whatever but i need t’ sleep or i’m gonna fucking pass out..”

They put a normal dose of the sleep aid into his mouth. “Nighty night then.”

Sans’s eyes close immediately and his head tilts back. This was basically his life now anyway, right? Wake up, have breakfast, do some paperwork and/or grasp at the bedsheets in 202...he might as well get used to it. As soon as he can do that, he can get bored with it. 

And then hopefully they will too.

 

He wakes up to the smell of breakfast. Sans rubs at his eyes as he sits up, stomach growling. 

“Hungry?” Chara asks as they set the tray down.

Sans nods, moving to reach for a plate only to find his hands pinned to the headboard. He groans. “Really?”

“I am going to feed you. Since you love doing nothing after all~” They pick up a bowl of scrambled eggs. “ Open up~” They say as they load up a fork.

Sans obligingly opens his mouth, swallowing, “what's ‘nothing’ got to do with eating?” He grumbles. 

“Movement.” They say, loading another bite.

“oh ha ha…” 

“Open up.”

“‘breakfast in bed’ is supposed to be a way more romantic concept than you're making it.”

They shove the food in his mouth. “Oh?”

Sans hums at the taste of warm food in his mouth and closes his eyes.

“You like it?” They ask sweetly as they scrape some perfectly cooked hash browns onto the tines.

Sans nods, “mhm...who made this?”

“The cooks obviously. Open.”

Sans complies, licking up the excess amount of ketchup that gets stained around his mouth. 

Chara chuckles. “You really are hungry aren't you?” They muse as they continue to feed him.

“aside from that burger i had yester-mmf..” Sans swallows, groaning in approval, “..haven't had anything to eat..”

“Shall I get you more then?” They ask, looking at the near empty plate.

Sans nods, licking at his mouth very unsubtly.

“Very well, I will return.” They say, feeding him the last of the food before picking up the empty dishes and heading out.

Sans nods, twitching his foot impatiently as he waits for them to come back, stomach growling. 

A few minutes later, they come in holding a large tray of food, platter sized to serve a large table of people.

His eyes widen, “whoa, that’s, uh...a bit much..”

“Nonsense.” They say, setting it onto the foot of the bed. They pick up a plate of toast, and holds it up to his face. “Open up~”

“yessense.” Sans mumbles in protest, nonetheless eating the presented item in two bites.

He starts feeling full by the time he finishes two more plates of food, and Chara picks up another, and holds up a forkful.

Sans shakes his head, “no thanks...i’m good, Chara, i’m...y-yeah, i’m good..”

They smirk. “Nonsense.” They repeat. “I know you have been  _ really _ hungry. Open up~”

“yessense!” Sans also repeats himself, turning his head away, “i told you i’m full - if you get off on feeding me then just  _ wait _ , and you c- _ mph _ !” Sans’s eyes widen as Chara takes advantage of his open mouth and stuffs another bite in.

“What was that?” They ask, loading up a fork.

“i’m  _ full  _ so stop it!” He says, a bit of a whine in his tone.

“But I thought you were hungry?”

“i  _ was _ ! past tense!” Sans’s eyelights shrink slightly in panic as he feels Chara’s magic forcing his head to hold still. “i’m fed now, thanks!”

They force his mouth open, shoving in a big forkful of food before forcing his mouth closed, but releasing his head. Sans struggles to swallow, convulsing as he tries to breathe and eventually forcing the bite down. He groans and sinks into the pillows against the headboard, shutting one eye as he feels magic forming around his stomach.

The magic holding his mouth shut releases. “Open up~”

“Chara  _ please _ stop-”

They shove another forkful into his mouth. Sans keeps trying to fight as the process continues, but Chara just uses their magic to force his cooperation. He feels his shirt slowly sliding up the glowing blue stomach as he’s force-fed, groaning in pain and squeezing his eyes shut as he swallows down mouthful after mouthful of unfortunately-delicious food. The rich taste just makes it seem like more.

They pause to rub his belly. “Awww, you look so adorable~” They coo.

Sans gives a grumble of a whine at the soothing sensation, eyes fluttering shut a moment as he tries to push past the hypnotic sensation, “ _ stop _ …”

They push slightly on his belly. Sans jerks forward, gagging and crying out, “ _ s-stop _ !”

They chuckle, and push harder. Sans yelps, breathing becoming staggered as a growing sense of nausea starts to build up, “ngh...Ch-Chara  _ please  _ stop..”

They then push with both hands. Sans cries out, gagging and twisting in place on the bed, finally sobbing at the intense discomfort and wishing to all hell that he was capable of vomiting. 

“Hmm, interesting.” They say, taking their hands off his belly and picking up another plate.

He shakes his head desperately, “Chara please no..”

“Open up~”

“Chara  _ p-please _ it hurts-!”

They brace a spread hand on his stomach, “Obey.”

Swallowing, Sans forces his mouth to open, choking down the next bite and groaning in pain, “ngh…”

“It's so good, huh Sans?” They coo, lifting the full fork again.

He nods, shutting his eyes as he opens his mouth again, shuddering.

They put it in his mouth, and he makes the mistake of looking at the platter, seeing that it’s just barely half gone. He quickly shuts his eyes again, breathing getting shallower as he tries not to cry in sheer frustration. “i c-can’t do this..”

“Sure you can~” They say, smirk unwavering.

“i c-can’t...i  _ can’t  _ i c...p-please can’t we do s-something else..?”

“Open uuup~” They sing, holding out the fork again.

“a-anything else…”

“Obey.”

Sans clenches his fists, swallowing and opening his eyes to look at them cautiously. He purposefully lets a stray bit of syrup stain the corners of his mouth, and makes no move to lick it off himself. Knowing how OCD Chara can be about cleanliness, it’ll only take a second.

They lick their thumb and start wiping the corner of his mouth. Sans stubbornly tilts his chin back, forcing them to lean in closer. He then snaps his head back down and uses his legs to upset their balance and force them to fall forward. He pushes his tongue between their lips and shuts his eyes tightly, weakly holding them in place by bracing his legs against their back as he kisses them deeply.

“Mmmph!” They pull back reflexively, but at the resistance of his legs, they fall forward again, this time cupping a hand around his cheek as they continue the kiss.

_ ‘it’s just a kiss it’s just a kiss it’s just a stupid kiss…’ _ Sans forces out a moan, grimacing as he feels them shudder in response to the sound. He lets them steal his breath, his chest rising and falling faster as they lean onto him, their weight pressing onto his stomach.

He hears the ‘tink’ of the fork being idly set aside, and they press even closer, letting out a moan. Sans tries to shift himself into a more comfortable position, making up for his breathlessness by pushing his tongue in deeper, panting. He whimpers at the pain of the pressure on his belly, but the Prinx interprets it as desperation - luckily or otherwise.

One of their hands slide down, pausing as obstructed by his belly, and they start rubbing it as they kiss.

“m-mph..” Sans’s back arches, but just slightly, and he quickly goes limp against the mattress, pulling back a second to gasp in air, “k-kff..-”

They immediately push him back into the kiss, their knee rising between his legs. His eyelights widen and his hips jerk forward as he gasps.

They let out another moan, continuing to rub his stomach and kiss him deeply. Sans echoes the sound, panting as they pull away to kiss at his cheeks and neck and staring dazedly up at the ceiling, “mmh? U-uh…”

“Enjoying yourself?” They ask as they continue to stimulate him.

Sans shuts his eyes tightly and nods. Saying ‘no’ would just make them go back to stuffing him and also it’d be a lie, at this point.

They just chuckle and drag their other hand down to his hip. Sans doesn’t even care when he senses them slowly tugging down his shorts. He spreads out his legs and catches their lips again, pulling at the restraints on his wrists and trying to grab onto them instinctively.

His restraints break as Chara lets out a louder moan. Sans grabs onto them, struggling to sit up and failing pathetically.

They just press into him even more, pulling up the skirt of their robe to straddle him. Sans finds himself gasping for breath, trying to take in air between his loud moans as he pushes up against them, his face flush and covered in sweat, “f-fuck…!”

Chara grunts as they start grinding, sweating as well. This is the first time they’ve gotten this worked up while with him. Until now they were fine just frustrating him, but  _ fuck _ , the way he kissed them out of desperation, and the little noises of pleasure and pain he’s making…

“Mmph, I think it’s..mph, time you learned how to make a...good use of that big mouth of yours...hm?” Chara pants, smirking down at his glassy eyes.

“wh…?”

With their magic, they set the large tray on the floor, then they sit up, pulling him further down the bed. Sans squirms, trying to control the bucking motion of his hips as they stroke his bare pubis and moaning.

They crawl to the other end of the bed, and with their magic,(is he that heavy nnow lol) they turn him over. Sans cries out as he’s forced onto his swollen belly, groaning in pain and trying to push himself up to his knees.

“Finish me and I will lay you back on your back.” They say, slipping out of their robe.

Sans groans, squeezing his eyes shut, “f-fine...fine wh-whatever…”

They lay on their back, and spread their legs to give him room as they drag him forward by the collar. It occurs to them that he might not know what they expect him to do and they can’t help but laugh. “Use your tongue.” They say, scratching the back of his skull.

Stifling the urge to gag, Sans hesitantly braces his tongue against their inner thigh, eyes darting back and forth between the mattress and what he can see of Chara’s eyes as he struggles to keep himself braced up.

“Keep going~” They encourage, squirming slightly in anticipation.

He continues licking at their leg, trying to avoid their sex. Chara rolls their eyes heavily and sits up. They force him onto his back again, but brace their hands against his forehead and sit on his face, digging their nails into his skull. “You probably want to breathe again soon, hm?” They growl, holding him in place with their magic to keep him from thrashing,  _ “Then finish me.” _

Sans chokes, scratching at the bed sheets as he forces himself to drag his tongue up between their legs, lapping quickly and writhing desperately. Chara moans over the sounds of his gasping, and he licks faster, chest starting to tighten and convulse.

They start to grind reflexively, grabbing his shirt for stability. Sans feels his vision going blurry and his head growing light and he starts forcing out moans, knowing how sensitive Chara is to the sounds. He nearly cries out in relief himself when they finally climax and move off of him, allowing him to breathe.

They relax before moving to the other side of the bed, rubbing his bare legs. Sans shivers, trying to draw his knees into his chest, but his stomach blocks him. He quickly gives up and goes limp, spreading out his legs and shutting his eyes.

They move their hands up,and starts stimulating his pelvis again. Sans moans, back arching and hips occasionally jolting forward as they tease him. It feels so good but he can’t stop fucking  _ crying _ …

“Are you close?” They ask, dipping their head down to lick his pelvis.

“y-yes..”

“Do you want to finish?”

He gives a weak shrug.

They send a small electric current into his pelvis as they tease it.

“How about now?”

Sans yelps and gives a choked whine, “n-ngh...p-please…”

“That’s more like it~” They praise, moving faster and letting him finish. He comes with a quiet, staggered cry. Chara frowns at the anticlimactic climax. Was that it?

“Was that not enjoyable?” They ask, leaning over to see his expression.

Sans turns his tear-stained face away from them quickly, “g-great.” He lies, voice cracking.

“Aww, what’s the matter?” They coo, laying next to him.

“c-can i p-please leave n-now..?”

“But you never finished your food~”

“i d-didn’t go through all th-that f-for nothing!” Sans shouts, forcing himself to sit up and grabbing his shorts, “i’m g-goin’ home…”

…..that had all been  _ fake _ ?

...he’d  **_tricked them_ ** ?

He feels himself be pressed against the headboard, his arms being restrained again. “The sex was for the drug, remember?” They say with a grin, the tray being set on the bed once more.

Sans abruptly starts sobbing, his chin dropping to his sternum, “Ch-Chara please n-no more Chara p-please please  _ p-please  _ Ch-Chara  _ p-please  _ i d-don’t wanna do this i w-wanna go  _ h-home  _ Chara p-please i-i’m sorry i’m s-sorry i wanna go h-home i wanna go h-home please please please please  _ please Ch-Chara _ !”

“Open uuuup~” They say with a smirk, holding out the fork.

“Chara p-please…”

“Eat.” They say sternly.

Sans shakes his head. “i c-can’t…”

His mouth forces open, and they shove the food inside, and forcing his mouth closed again. Sans starts withdrawing from the situation, sockets going black as he retreats to the back of his mind. He doesn't want to  _ be  _ here. So he won't be. 

 

He wakes up, belly fuller, realizing he most likely fell asleep. Sans gives a pathetic groan of a whine, testing the movement of his arms. His arms are free, and he is alone in the room. Almost immediately he reaches up to his neck and snaps off the pendant again, throwing it to the side and lighting up his eye. He starts burning away the excess magic as fast as he can, sweat breaking out over his forehead.

He hears the knob turn on the door.

“ _ fuck _ !” Sans stands up quickly, holding a hand over his half-drained stomach and rushing over to where he threw the amulet, using his magic to string it back together. 

The door opens, “Sans?”

His eyes widen. 

ECHO.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that isn't good


	11. Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Repeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: 18+ Only. We can't force you not to read this, but we will block you if we get in contact with you via this fic. It's against the law for us to talk with minors about pornography etc. Please don't try to contact us outside of the comments box, lest we be forced to block you. We love our readers, but we love not jail more.-sam

Sans immediately scrambles back, his shoulders hitting the wall, “n-no no no ECHO g-go away-!”

The creature steps inside the room and closes the door quietly, “Sans, please let me help.”

“ _no_! you’re g-gonna get k-killed..!”

ECHO stays at a distance, not approaching him, “You need help, Sans. Please. I promise I won’t tell anyone. Just let me help you.”

“why do you e-even want to?!”

She tilts her head, “You don’t have to do this alone, Sans.” ECHO says quietly, crouching down and offering him a hand that begins to softly glow blue, “Please...please let me help you.”

Sans stares at her, trying to remind himself of all the reasons he should say ‘no’. In the end however he desperately reaches forward and clasps her hand, allowing her calming magic to course through him and soothe away his panic. His breathing dies down and his shoulders relax. “...o-okay…”

ECHO smiles gently, standing up and moving forward, “...hm. Where are your clothes?”

...oh right. He’s completely naked. Sans ducks his head slightly and points to the far side of the bed, drawing his legs in a bit. ECHO nods and walks over to retrieve them as he sets the amulet aside again and quickly burns out the rest of his excess magic, giving a sigh of relief when it’s finally gone. It’s alright, he reminds himself - he’s a skeleton and she’s a flower. Between the two of them it hardly matters.

She approaches him again, handing him his shorts and shirt, allowing him to dress himself. Sans is grateful that she’s not trying to baby him. After what he just suffered through he’s not sure how his already mostly dead dignity could stand being coddled. ECHO studies his face a second as he tugs down his shirt, and then she disappears momentarily into the attached bathroom, reappearing with a damp cloth and holding it out to him.

He looks at her questioningly.

“...for your face.”

“..oh.” Right. There’s probably still some...fluids. “..thanks.” Sans takes the rag and quickly cleans himself off, shuddering and grimacing as he does so. He tosses the cloth onto the mattress and heads for the door, gesturing her to hurry up and follow. Whether or not Chara checks the cameras he doesn’t know but he doesn’t want to risk ECHO being seen more than necessary.

After double-checking that there was no one in the wing (as usual), Sans slips out the door, ECHO tagging silently at his heels. If not for her ‘calm the fuck down’ magic he probably would have been holed up in that room for a lot longer, trying pointlessly to recover his dignity.

“Wait. Sans.”

He pauses and turns back, stiffening when he sees her holding the amulet towards him. She’s grimacing, probably sensing the magic stifling effects of it just by holding it.

Sans shifts his jaw, taking it from her and putting it over his head, “..thanks. coulda gotten in big trouble for that.”

ECHO’s frown deepens, “...I won’t ask you to talk about anything you don’t want to, Sans, but...are you safe?”

He laughs. He can’t help it. It’s such an innocent question and he’s in such a fucked up position. “uh, no, nightlight. i’m not.” Sans sighs at the worry in her expression, “i never am, though. it’ll be fine.”

“That doesn’t sound ‘fine’.”

Sans shrugs, turning and continuing to walk back towards the main wing.

She follows, at a reasonable distance, “They had paperwork waiting for you. The main court. I put it all in your favorite library spot.”

Sans gives a half groan half laugh, rubbing at his temples, “i have a favorite spot?”

“Yes.”

“you know more about me than i do, then. that’s a little creepy.”

“...I’m sorry. I can’t help but notice these things.”

He waves her off, “it’s fine...thanks, i guess.”

“You’re welcome, Sans.” ECHO’s walk slows as they start to be able to hear the distant sound of voices and footsteps. She alters her course so they won’t be seen exiting the wing together, “Goodbye.”

“bye, nightlight.”

 

In spite of the mentioned paperwork, Sans’s first trip is right down to the security feed room. Considering the general lack of bad-doing in the Underground, it isn’t regularly monitored. Once a day at the end of the day, the recording tapes are switched out for new ones, but that’s the only attention this place gets.

Sans only intends to be here for a few minutes.

Stepping inside, he shuts and locks the door behind him, looking over the numerous monitors until he comes to room 202’s feed. He ejects the tape and crushes it into pieces in his hand, not bothering to check if ECHO even showed up in the recording. No chances - he’s not going to get that innocent monster into trouble, if he can help it.

He discards the tape into a waste bin on the other side of the castle, shoving his hands into his pockets and making for the library.

What are the chances of Chara checking those tapes anyway?

 

Chara enters his room later that night, slamming the door shut to wake him.

Sans jolts up to his seat, swearing when he sees them and immediately scrambling to get to his feet. Chara pins him to his mattress by his shoulders before he can do so.

“f-fuck! wh-what, what _now_ wh-what’d i d-do?!” Sans demands in a shaking voice, shaking his head and trying to clear the fog from his mind.

“You tell _me._ The surveillance in 202 has gone missing. Care to explain?”

“...o-okay, yeah, i destroyed it. m-maybe you're not w-worried about s-some p-pervert night g-guard g-getting off on footage of...of _today_ , but i am-!”

Chara scoffs. “Don't bullshit me. You never cared before. What really happened?” They ask, suspicious.

“h-hey, i..i-it’s never been th-that bad before…”

They smirk. “Not even when you fucked your pillow?”

Sans feels his face burn and he glares at them, “at least i wasn't being forced to lick off your nasty-”

“SANS?!” There's a pounding at his door. “WHAT'S GOING ON? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

Sans’s eyes widen as Chara grins at the door, “Paps no don't c-”

The door opens and Papyrus’s eyes go wide as a knife of red magic suddenly buries itself into his SOUL, “WH..”

Before Sans can even scream, the world shifts back a few minutes, and Sans is lying down on his bed with Chara braced over him, the door closed once more, “Shall I disturb your brother's sleep again or are you going to be honest with me?”

Sans sucks in a breath, doing his best to keep from crying, “...o-okay, okay, Chara, f-fine, i...d-don’t hurt him again, please…”

“Better get explaining~”

Sans swallows, “......wh..when i woke up ag-gain after you left i f...i still f..felt h-heated s...so i…...t-tried to t..to...finish m..myself.” He forces out the lie, feeling his face burning at the widening grin on Chara's face, “and i _didn't want you to see_ okay?!”

“Oh, Kitten I didn't know you cared.” They say with a smirk. “But, there is still a problem~” They rub his ribs and trail their fingers down slowly.

Sans grunts, doing his best to muffle himself and not wake his neighbor brother, “wh...wh-what?”

“Do you really think I'm stupid? Or did you think I wouldn't notice?” They ask, their grip tightening.

“i j...i j-just didn’t th-think y-you ch-checked the t-tapes wh-why would y-you c-care…?!”

“I know you took off your necklace. Wanna know how I know? Or are you going to piece it together on your own?” They seethe.

“i was j-just getting rid of the-”

“When has this ever been about what you want hmm?” They interrupt. “Now it looks like we will do it all over again. See you tomorrow morning.” They say with a grin, standing and leaving the room.

“Ch-Chara please..”Sans calls after them, trembling and sitting up, “p-please no…”

But they’re already gone.

 

“Sans…?”

Sans pauses in his walk down the hall to 202, looking up and seeing ECHO standing there in front of him. He says nothing.

“...Sans..” She hesitates, and then moves forward and wraps her arms around him. Sans rests his head against her shoulder, trembling. His breath hitches and he clings to her for a moment.

“i c...i c-can’t do this anymore n-nightlight..”

“Sans…” ECHO strokes his head soothingly, “...would you like some of my magic?”

Sans pulls back, nodding and wiping at his eye. He clutches her hand, and his grip relaxes as she calms him down once more. Sans lets out a slow breath, “...th-thanks…”

“Come find me after. I’ll be in the library. Okay?”

“i...i-i d-don’t know how long th-this is gonna take..”

“I will be there.” She says more firmly, squeezing his shoulders, “I promise.”

Sans looks up from the ground, giving a weak smile. He barely knows this flower. How can he already trust her so much? “...okay.”

ECHO nods, taking his hands and giving them a gentle squeeze before hurrying past him back to the main halls.

Taking in a deep breath, Sans braces a hand over his SOUL and puts his hands in his pockets, walking forward once again and pushing open the door to 202.

Chara isn't in the room however.

Sans glances around cautiously, shutting the door and moving over to the other side of the room. The bed has been made and everything. He would assume they’d reloaded if not for ECHO’s meeting with him in the hall. Sans glances down at his stomach and rubs at it, feeling prematurely ill. He’s hungry again (he’d made sure to eat nothing at all since Chara’s warning) but his appetite is still less than half the size it had been last time, he’s sure.

“....Chara…?” He risks calling.

No response.

Rolling back his shoulders, Sans shuffles over to the desk and sits down, picking up a pen and doodling mindlessly on the pad of paper left there. Well if they’re too busy to stop by he won’t complain. He glances at the door, not trying to deny the temptation to just get up and leave. But that’s probably just what this is - Chara trying to trick him into leaving so they can double his punishment.

Sans glances back down at the paper and realizes he’s started violently scribbling _I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU_ repeatedly over the yellow pages. He sighs, going back and crossing out the insane looking letters as thoroughly as possible.

He hears the doorknob turn, and Chara enters. “So, spending extra time with my spy hmm.” They question, crossing their arms after shutting the door.

Sans freezes up, “ECHO?”

“Well, I'm not talking about your brother.” They say, face blank. “You have been sneaking around with her?”

“...what? no. i was looking depressed and she gave me a hug.”

“So, you aren't going to meet her in the library then?”

“why do you care if i have a friend?”

“Don't lie to me.” They snap. “You are not to see her again. This will be your only warning. Now lay on the bed.”

He could ask why. He could demand a reasonable explanation besides ‘jealousy’. But he could also try to get out of here in better condition than he’d been when he left, and not ask stupid questions that he already knows the answers to.

Sans stands up from the desk and crawls onto the bed, resting his back against the headboard and watching his feet.

They walk over to the desk, looking over the paper before chuckling and smirking. “Cute.” They mock.

“you know me. just downright adorable in everything i do.”

Chains wrap around his wrists, and secure them over his head. Then, Chara opens the door, retrieving a large lunch tray of food.

Sans watches them with an exhausted expression, glancing up and making eye contact briefly before looking away.

Chara smirks and loads up a fork. “Open uuuup.”

Sans wordlessly opens his mouth, gaze growing distant.

_‘am i just gonna have to leave ECHO there? Chara’ll probably intercept any message i could send to her. i don’t want to get her in trouble...but i gotta somehow tell her that Chara isn’t going to let us talk anymore…’_

He feels a jolt of electricity flow through the next bite he idly takes. Sans chokes on the food and unintentionally spits it out, coughing and gagging, “ghk!”

They slap him. “See? This is why we pay attention.” They scold, lifting his chin, before forcing the spit up food back in his mouth.

Sans grimaces, groaning and swallowing with some difficulty, “kff...s-sorry…”

“You have been really disrespectful lately. I'm beginning to think you need a worse punishment.”

Sans looks at them for a second before his eyes drop again, and he shrugs.

“Is that what you want?” They ask, promptingly.

“n..n-no, Chara…”

“Are you bored? Do you need more... exciting, punishments?”

“...what answer do you wanna hear?”

“Whatever you want to tell me.”

“if you want to hear me beg for you to torture me more then you’re going to have to say so Chara because i’m j...i’m just really..really tired…”

Chara smirks. “You're tired? Well, why didn't you say so?” They take out the bottle, and ready a fourth of the normal dose. “A very low dose, no nightmares, just sleep~ We can continue your punishment for when you wake up.” They say, holding the dropper to his mouth.

“...you don't understand, i’m not...i’m not physically tired. that's not the kind of exhausted i am.” Sans says, voice sounding strained, “don’t you know what that’s like? don’t you understand _at all_ how it feels to be just tired of _existing_?”

They shake their head, smirking. “No, I'm afraid not.”

He searches their face for any sign of a _hint_ of sympathy, but there’s none. Sans closes his eyes, swallowing. “....a-anyway...n-no thanks, on the...th-the nap, option, i...i-i’d rather just get this over w-with..”

“Very well.” They say, putting the bottle away, and continuing to feed him.

 

It seems like forever until they finally stop. Sans muffles his pained groans, keeping his eyes screwed tightly shut and his fists clenched as he tries to keep his breaths light, “ngh..”

They push on his belly. “You are not to take off your necklace without permission. Understand?”

“ow. y-yes, Chara.” Sans winces, pushing further back against the headboard, “..w-we done, now..?”

They slap him. “I don't like your attitude.” They scold.

He covers his bruised cheek, staring at them, “i d...didn’t m-mean to sound...that way..”

“We are done when I say we are.” They snap.

“o-okay, Chara, okay..”

“Good.” They say as they lean into him, kissing his mouth.

Sans sighs silently as he opens his mouth, taking a few seconds before forming his tongue and hesitantly returning the kiss. The last thing he wants is for them to get passionate again...

They pull away. “Well, I must be going. I have an important matter that needs to be dealt with.” They stand and head for the foor.

“wh...wh-what matter is that, exactly?” Sans asks, sounding breathless.

“Nothing you need concern yourself with.” They say as they exit.

Sans considers calling after, asking if he can leave, but then looks back at his swollen body and decides that even if he _could_ move, he doesn’t want to. Not in this state. Gods, imagining the look Papyrus would give him...that _anybody_ would give him.

He just groans, leaning his head back against the headboard and wishing his hands were free. They’re uncomfortable, suspended above his head like this, and he somewhat ashamedly wants to try and rub away the ache in his belly.

How long are they going to leave him here?

 

On their way back to their throne room, Chara calls upon a messenger.

“Yes my Prinx?”

“I want you to summon ECHO to my throne room. Check the library for her, or whatever.”

“Yes highness.” He says as he heads off.

It takes a few minutes, as ECHO wasn’t wanting to leave her spot, but eventually she appears, looking troubled. If Chara is _here_ then where is Sans.

Nevertheless she bows. “Majesty. You summoned me?”

“Yes. Have you heard any word of my attempted assassin?”

ECHO shakes her head, “No your Majesty.”

“Then you are dismissed. It seems the assassin has given up, or lost their nerve. I will contact you if I need your services again. Your pay is on my desk.”

“...may I spend some time in the library, your Majesty?”

“No. You are no longer needed on castle grounds. Understand?” Chara says in a stern tone.

“So I am banished.”

“Not at all. You are no longer needed, so I am sending you home. I'm sure the other flowers miss you. I'm sure the Waterfall library is well stocked, am I wrong?”

ECHO tilts up her head, watching them with her pupilless eyes for a moment before turning and walking off. She knows that if she asks around for Sans it will only get him in trouble.

But she’s sure there’s a pair of nurses that are very concerned as to the location of their undismissed patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a tattle tale


	12. Tattle Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Someone* has to look out for Sans, right?

“Chara Elizabeth Dreemurr, you will return Sans to us immediately. “ Sirona lectures as soon as Chara enters the infirmary. “We were told he is in your care, and while I know your healing magic works wonders, taking a patient from the infirmary without proper dismissal is against regulation, and it could only injure him further. Understand?”

Chara leans against the wall. “He was fine when he left, and he is fine now. He doesn't need to come back-” 

“I don’t want an argument from you. Either you bring him to me, or I go and get him myself.”

Chara sighs.”I will bring him within the hour.”

Sirona nods. “Thank you. You may go.” 

Chara sighs again, and makes their way to 202. They find Sans exactly where they left him, chained up and groaning quietly. 

They dissipate the chains, taking off the amulet from around his neck. “Heal.” They order.

He takes care of the bruise on his face first, but hesitates to get rid of his stomach, “....can i get rid of...can i burn off the extra magic, too?”

“Yes, hurry up.”

He obeys, and gets to his feet now that he’s able, although he immediately falls forward. Chara has to catch him before he can crack his skull and die.

“Have you lost the ability to stand?” They ask with a smirk.

“yep.” Sans sighs, resting his forehead on their shoulder and swallowing, “duno why you think i’d be super hyper after that...why do you care?”

“I need you standing. Why didn't you heal your legs?”

“legs are fine. ‘m just really fuckin’ tired.”

“Well can you act like you're not right?” They ask.

“what do you think i’m doin’ every fuckin’ day, Chara? if i’m nearly passing out then i should in actuality be fuckin’  _ dead _ ...this’s as good as it’s gonna get. sorry. why do you even care though?”

Chara sighs. “Well, your exhaustion can just be a symptom, come along.” They say, dragging him out of the room and into the hallway. He clings tightly to them, barely keeping his feet under him as he’s dragged to the infirmary.

“He was in the middle of a nap, I hope you know.” Chara complains, picking him up and laying him on the bed.

“...SSSiri...hhey..” Sans waves as the nurse comes over to his bedside, giving a sloppy grin, “...y’smell like soap...s’great…”

Sirona casts a concerned glance at Sans, before shifting her gaze to Chara. “Is he drunk?”

“No, just exhausted, he has been having trouble sleeping since-”

“hhey Ch..Ch’ra, Prinx, you s...you said you’d gimmie moreofthat..stuff right? ‘m kinda...ssscared to fall ‘sleep without it, ssooo c’nyou..? y’know?” 

Chara sneaks a glare at him before Sirona can react. 

“It's addictive, I'm weaning him off.” They explain. 

Sirona sighs and shakes her head. “Well, he will be staying here until I say. Understand? “

Chara huffs. “Fine, am I allowed visitation? “ 

“Yes, but no taking him out again until I say.” 

Chara nods.

“but you said you’d...ffine. fine, Chara, wh..whatever…” Sans groans, rolling onto his stomach and pressing his face into the pillow, “‘snot like you care ‘nyways..”

Chara smiles. “Honey, one little argument won't change how I feel about you~” They say as they scratch his skull gently. 

Sans flinches violently when he sees them raising their hand and tries to forcibly relax himself before the nurses can notice. “uhm..y-yeah. course…”

“I love you~” They purr as they lean down to kiss him. Instead, they whisper, “Behave”, pecking his cheek before standing straight again.

Sans swallows, bringing the blankets up to his chin and nodding. 

“I’ll be back with some food.” Chara says with a wave as they head out.

Sans immediately gags at the mere word.

“Are you alright dear? You feel nauseous?” Sirona asks.

_ “don'tletthemfeedmeplease.” _

“Shhh shh, you don't have to eat now if you feel sick. I’ll send it away if that's what you want?”

Sans nods, sniffing, “p-please…”

“Very well, get some rest alright? I'll shoo away any visitors.”

“uhm i...i-if ECHO comes by…”

“What about my former spy?” Chara asks, holding a small bowl of soup. Sirona takes it and sets it aside.

Sans tenses up visibly, “...n-nothing, Chara…”

“Relax darling, I'm not angry.” They say with a smile, kissing his forehead. “The tonic is in the soup” They whisper.

“h-haha, yup, yeah, o-okay Chara o-okay.”

“Alright darling, I'll let you rest, love you~” Chara says giving a small wave as they exit.

As soon as they are gone, Sirona casts a worried glance at Sans. “Are you alright?”

He looks up at the cameras, forcing a nod and turning his head away, saying nothing. 

“Alright, well, I’ll leave you be. Get some rest alright?” She says,holding his shoulder briefly before going to the back room of the infirmary.

Sans turns to his side, burying his face in his pillow and half-heartedly fighting the urge to fall asleep.

He's not ready to face more nightmares. Chara slips back in the room, sitting next to him, their movements silent.

“..s-somebody p-please help…” Sans whimpers, digging his fingers into the pillow as exhaustion starts to overtake him, “h-help..”

“Shhh~Sleep darling.”Chara whispers, before holding his mouth open and adding a drop of the serum into his mouth.

_ “ngh! n-no-.. _ !” Sans briefly fights back, but his addicted SOUL absorbs the drug almost immediately and he goes slack in their arms.

“Shhshh, sleep, your circadian rhythm will be corrected soon~”

“‘m  _ what _ …?”

“You will get tired when it's night time.” They rephrase.

“‘m always’tire…”

“Not for long darling~” They kiss his forehead, and quietly exit the room.

 

Chara retreats straight to the garden. They sit among their father’s flowers, their thoughts inevitably turning to ECHO. Chara knows that they probably shouldn’t have shown as much anger as they did towards Sans in regards to his friendship with her - one might mistake it for jealousy, which is, of course, ridiculous. As if that pathetic skeleton was anything to be jealous over. They can have (and  _ have _ had) anyone they want. Why would  _ Sans _ of all monsters be anywhere near their preferences?

...no. They simply don’t want their experiment interrupted. Already they had admitted to themselves that they were curious about the potential relationship between ECHO and Sans, and that they would want to see it pursued further. Only because they already have plans for this timeline did they stop it. Aside from temporary amusement, that sad whelp known as Sans is  _ useless _ . Chara makes a note to remind him of that later, and more often. His self-esteem is already hilariously pathetic, but apparently it’s still too high for him to properly recognize his place beneath them.

They give an idle scoff - does he  _ really _ think he deserves more respect simply because he can remember RESETS? If anything, his memories of their constant murders and tortures should have him  _ cowering _ . They’ll remind him of that, too, at some point. His boldness has been amusing, but it’s getting to the point where it needs to be reigned in.

Chara can’t help but wonder if Sans will obey their order to stay away from that flower. He has Papyrus to speak with, of course, but he’s kept busy with his training and patrols. And since Chara can’t tend to him  _ all _ the time, it is possible that he gets lonely...would he have the gall to continue seeing ECHO behind their back.

A wicked smirk crosses their face for a moment. Well...if he  _ does _ ...Chara doesn’t think they’ve ever spent too much time torturing ECHO before. She always died easily, and she was so aloof and boring that it hadn’t been much fun. She never even used her own voice to scream, supposing she has one...she’d even echoed Chara’s own screams once, and that had quickly ended with a knife coated in dust. Unsettling…

But how would Sans react to being responsible for the gruesome torture of an innocent monster? Papyrus, of course, had already been used in this manner. Only once or twice, and to incredibly amusing results, but was he the only monster Sans cared about? Had he really managed to detach himself from anyone else due to the RESETS?

...well. If he decides to disobey, then Chara supposes that they’ll get to see for themselves. They idly pluck a flower from the ground, and tear its petals off one by one.

Yes, it will definitely prove interesting.


	13. Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ECHO doesn't understand much.

Sirona gently nudges the sleeping skeleton by his shoulder. “Sans? Sans, wake up, you have been asleep for quite a while.”

He stirs slightly, “mmph..”

“How are you feeling?”

“like m’skulls’ made of lead..” The sleepy monster murmurs, “...’lways feels like that when...when they gimmie that drug…”

“They gave you more?” Sirona asks as she begins looking over his skull.

“y’didn’t...let ‘em in…? they were here…”

“I didn’t even know...” She murmurs. “Sans, I want you to be honest with me.” She says, lowering her voice. “Are you _really_ okay with them?” She begins checking his arms for possible injuries.

He swallows, saying nothing and just shifting in place and letting her look him over.

She tugs at the hem of his shirt. “May I?” She asks, waiting for his permission.

_‘she’ll see. she’ll see and you’ll be endangering another monster are you really so selfish…’_

Wordlessly Sans sits back and sheds his jacket, pulling his t-shirt over his head and sitting still.

Sirona gasps quietly as she sees his scar, those initials carved right into his bone. “Does... does it hurt?” She asks, gently trailing a claw along the scar as she inspects it.

“a l-little…”

She immediately starts healing him, but nothing changes. “It’s so deep, I’m surprised you are still alive...” She murmurs.

Sans just laughs weakly. It’s not like he really survived it, but he can’t tell her that, can he?

Sirona backs away, and takes a deep breath. “They will get impatient if we keep you here, but you are always free to come if you need us, alright?” Sirona reassures. “I will even hide you you if you need it.”

“...Siri…” Sans rubs at his temple, shaking his head, “...you know Chara. ever since they were young. you know how they get when something or...someone, gets in their way..”

Sirona sighs. “Well, even if it’s to hide temporarily, just let me know. I will help you as much as I can, alright?”

“Siri, you've got a daughter to protect.” Sans says, voice serious, “they _will_ hurt her to punish you if you try to help me.”

“I’m sorry...” She says looking away sadly.

“hey i’ll be fine...just hook me up with some healing every now and then if you wanna help...next time Chara asks to take me away though just...just let ‘em, okay? i’ll be fine..”

“Deal.” She affirms with a forced smile.

 

“she sent me flowers.” Sans repeats for the umpteenth time, rubbing at his eyes as Chara paces in front of the end of the bed in 202. He’s too fucking tired for this. “i was gonna put them in my room because they fucking smell nice i don’t...get what the big deal is…?” Sans asks wearily, sitting back and resting his hands in his lap, “a flower sending flowers...what, are you worried she’s asking me to be her baby daddy or something?”

“A gift of flowers expresses those feelings, yes. Mostly as a wish for court ship, or to strengthen a courtship. Don’t play stupid with me.” They snap.

“so you throw a massive fit in front of the entire court.” Sans says dryly, “is this ‘dating’ game really that important to you?”

“You disobeyed me.” They say with a glare. “I take my research seriously.”

“i really didn’t - i didn’t see her, okay? i just saw some flowers in a vase on my desk and picked them up. you’re the one blowing this out of proportion.”

“Here is what you are going to do.” They begin, ignoring him. “You are going to meet up with her one last time, tell her you never want to see or talk to her again, and you will come back here, and never interact, indirectly or otherwise, with her until I am done with you. Understand?”

Sans actually lifts his head, “...when?”

“When this conversation is over. Should you disobey me, there will be severe consequences.”

“when are you going to be done with me?” Sans clarifies his question, ignoring theirs. “when is this goddamn nightmare going to be over?”

Chara shrugs. “Indeterminate. I have only just begun with you after all. There are hundreds more possibilities than the others because of your ability. Possibly infinite.”

“..infinite…” Sans repeats the word in cracked voice, putting his face in his hands.

“Perhaps down the line I’ll allow a timeline where you court her, but for now, you are forbidden to even mention her after today.”

“i don’t want to ‘court her’.”

“You accepted her flowers.”

“they were ‘get well’ flowers. because, you know, i was really fucking sick. because you _poisoned me_ . so you made yourself look like the biggest piece of shit in front of everyone by throwing a fit about it...not like _you_ got me flowers.” Sans sits back, “and we’re ‘dating’. i feel like you don’t even care sometimes, buttercup.”

“It wasn’t that big of a fit. _Now_ who’s blowing things out of proportion?”

“maybe i’m biased because i already see you as the biggest piece of shit.” Sans admits.

“ _Anyways_ , go do what I asked of you, and if you do it wrong, or disobey, there will be serious consequences.”

“...sooo does that mean i...get out of ‘this’..?” Sans glances behind him, repressing a shudder as he recalled Chara complaining about never having gotten a full reenactment of that one night - they even had a covered cart already in the room that Sans would bet had food on it.

“For now, yes. We will resume tomorrow.”

Sans groans, getting to his feet, “great…”

“Better get going~”

“do i have a time limit?”

“I did say immediately did I not?”

“i want time.” Sans says, glancing away, “...maybe i _would_ be interested in ‘courting her’ in another timeline in the future…” He lies, “imagine all the data you can take in on that, huh? but i dunno yet.”

“Have you not been listening? I want you to tell her you want nothing more to do with her. You will tell her you don’t want to talk, see, or interact with her at all.” They repeat, looking irritated.

Sans gives a low growl, gritting his teeth, _“fine_. it'll look super not suspicious for me to rush in and go ‘can't see you anymore welp bye’ and then rush back. doesn't scream ‘abuse victim’ at all.”

“She isn't here anymore. I presume she is back at Waterfall where she lives.”

“so what? why do you care if i wanna take a little time saying goodbye? what are you, jealous?” Sans scoffs.

“Frankly, I wouldn't care about your personal relationships if it didn't conflict with my experiment. Don't flatter yourself, you’re not _that_ likeable.” They echo his scoff.

“then give me a good reason for having to rush through a goodbye.”

“Lingering will only make her want to return. A cold dismissal will get the point across. No goodbyes.”

Sans puts his face in his hands, scratching at his skull and wincing at the chip this causes in his skull, “...so i have to be friendless for forever? is that what you’re saying?” He asks in a cracking voice.

“Not forever, just indefinitely.”

“d-don’t...don’t you know how _alone_ that makes me…? i h-have Papyrus but he...h-he’s so f-fuckin’ busy with the royal guard we barely get to hang out anymore…”

Their smirk answers his question.

“h-how the f-fuck does isolating m-me play into your s-stupid ‘research’?!”

“Less variables.”

“bullshit.” Sans seethes, “ _bullshit_!”

“And your emotional distress is amusing.”

He feels his eye start to burn and quickly turns, yanking at the door handle. It’s locked. He tries to teleport. The room is sealed off by their magic.

“Chara. _Let me out.”_ He growls, “i thought you were so fucking anxious for me to go dump my not girlfriend.”

“Your tantrum is fascinating to me. I thought you were used to such loneliness.”

“i’ve never been this cut off.” Sans braces his fists against the door, shutting his eyes and trying to calm down the burning, “i always had Papyrus or Grillby or Alphys or _somebody_ but you’re so _fucking controlling_ i don’t have _anybody_!”

“You have _me_ , darling~” Chara purrs, bracing their hands on the door and blocking him in with their arms as they kiss his collarbone, “Isn’t that enough?”

Sans grits his teeth, “i hate you.” He growls.

“Noted.” They say with a grin, licking up his cheekbone.

 _“ugh_ !” Sans shoves them away, wiping his sleeve over the side of his face, “stop! fucking let me _out_ already you _fucking pain in my ass_!”

“But I thought you were _lonely_ ~” They tease as they press against him, slipping their hands up his shirt.

Bracing himself for the consequences, Sans shoves them back and slaps them, feeling his eye burning in spite of his attempts at self control, “don’t **_touch me_ **!”

They chuckle darkly as they, hold their hand to their cheek. Their other hand immediately grasps his neck tightly. “Have you forgotten so fast darling? I can do _whatever I want_!”

“then do it.” Sans says hoarsely, choking, “just _do it_ and get f-fucking bored with me already!”

“I’d rather see you squirm.” They seethe, releasing him and opening the door.

Sans flips them off and storms away down the hall, shaking in anger.

Chara smirks, now that he is angry, he has a higher chance of fucking up. They wait till he turns the corner before heading to their surveillance room. While it’s possible they won’t get video feed, they certainly will get audio to make sure he obeys.

 

He walks, of course. He already knows Chara is going to be stalking every second of his time out, to make sure he goes through with this - because for some reason they seem to think that he’s intent on dating some weird flower that won’t leave him alone…

Sans is partially aware that his anger towards ECHO is unreasonable. But he can’t help but blame her annoying concern for him for getting him into the trouble he’s currently in. Doesn’t she know she could die? She somehow knows about his Fracture so shouldn’t she get the idea that Chara is _dangerous_?

Huffing, Sans gets onto the Riverperson’s boat, shoving his hands in his pockets and muttering “Waterfall.” at a barely comprehensible volume. Why did people have to care at all? It’d be a hell of a lot easier if everyone just minded their own business.

 

Sans sighs through his teeth as he holds his ringing phone up to his ear, waiting for Chara to pick up. This is gonna be fun...

“ _Yes_?” Chara answers.

“you've been stalking me so you probably already know this, but i can't find her.”

“ _Stalling only pisses me off_.” Chara warns.

“i’m not stalling, Chara, i honest to gods can't find her.” Sans leans against the cave wall, rubbing at his forehead - he can't even muster the energy to sound frustrated. “i’ve been here for _hours_ , Chara. i’m tired. i’m hungry. my shoes are completely soaked. i just wanna go home..”

“ _Then you better find her. Have you called for her in the flowers_?”

“i’ve been calling for her everywhere. i look like an idiot.”

“ _Well, you are not to come home until you find her. Understand?”_

“can i j..can i at least go to Grillby’s for something to eat…?”

“ _...You may go to a restaurant in Waterfall_.”

“...fine.” Sans sighs wearily and hangs up. He starts walking towards Gerson’s shop. Maybe the old turtle has seen her. The sooner he can break up with his sort-of-friend the better.

 

ECHO flowers say lots of things. They only remain coherent for a few minutes after overhearing a new phrase. After that, everything gets repeated back and forth until it's just mumbles of whispers.

So when Sans hears a clear series of numbers being spoken, he stops and listens. It took him listening three times before he understood.

Coordinates.

Sans closes his eyes, and teleports.

 

_“...so you come here often? not, uh, like a pick-up...since this is the only spot in the Underground where actual sunlight comes through.”_

_“No.”_

_“......no?”_

_“Yes.”_

 

Sans had figured that, through the dozens and dozens and dozens of years worth of RESETS, he had seen every place in the Underground.

Not this place.

He stares up in awe at the generous amount of sunlight pouring through the cavern ceiling as it lights up a field full of ECHO Flowers. They look so different in the sunlight.

The entire place is only a couple yards wide and long. _Maybe_ an acre in total - the sealed off cavern is hard to measure with the sunlight blinding him.

“Sans? Is that you?”

Sans turns and faces the approaching flowery figure, “oh. hey…”

“Sans I'm so sorry about the flowers...I didn't think Chara would get that upset..”

Sans is reminded of the unpleasant circumstances behind his mission and his expression darkens, “oh really. you had no clue. you know they Fractured me and you know they torture me for fun but you thought they'd be totally okay with me getting flowers.”

ECHO gives a guilty wince and Sans’s eyes narrow.

“unbelievable. do you _know_ how much trouble i got in?”

“I overheard...I hear everything my flowers hear…”

Sans grits his teeth, “oh really. so then you heard me calling for you for hours and didn't think to say hello anytime sooner?”

“Sans…”

“well _allow me_ to deliver my prepared speech - thanks for your creepy attention, but it's getting me in trouble so _goodbye_!”

“Sans wait-!”

He teleports out of the cavern, back to the room where his old hotdog stand had been. He brings out his phone, ready to call Chara.

_“Ah, it's your turn, wallflower.”_

Sans freezes up at the sound of the Prinx’s voice, whirling around and trying to spot them before realizing the noise is coming from the ECHO flower next to his station. Slowly he approaches it as it continues to talk.

_“RESET number two-hundred seventy-seven...subject ECHO...that is your name, isn't it?”_

“...what…” RESET 277 was ages ago.

 _“This will be my fifth time experimenting with you, ECHO. So don't worry. By this point I know_ **_fairly well_ ** _what makes you scream.”_

There's a tearing sound, followed by screaming, and Sans immediately teleports back to the secret cavern, “ECHO…!”

She's on her knees in front of one of the larger flowers, alone and perfectly unharmed, listening to the ‘recording’.

 _“This won't be the first time I've ‘deflowered’ you, either.”_ There's the ugly sound of Chara's half-maniacal, half-subdued laughter, and Sans shudders. _“Not that you remember of course. Shame, it was such a lovely evening...boring, and forgettable...just like you.”_

_“Y-Your Majesty p..p-please what's..what's my offense…?”_

_“You don't get it, do you, you stupid plant? Even if I tell you, you're just going to forget. It will be as if none of this ever happened.”_ There's more tearing sounds, and more breathy screaming. _“I tire of explaining the rules to such forgetful toys.”_

_“Please, please I want to understand..”_

_“You never will.”_

ECHO waves her hand over the flower petals, and a seemingly different echo plays.

“ _RESET number two-hundred eighty-one..”_

_“Three-hundred eight-”_

_“Three-hundred forty-one-”_

_“Four-hundred ten-”_

_“Papyrus…?”_

Sans tenses up.

 _“Paps...god, no, not again...Papyrus, c’mon, bro, don't..don't leave me alone_ again _…”_

“ECHO…” Sans's voice cracks as he takes another step towards the flower.

“ _i’m so tired of dealing with these RESETS alone, Paps...why do you have to keep being the hero and getting yourself killed? don't you know how hard this is..? don't you know how_ **_alone_ ** _i am without you?”_

“ECHO, stop.”

She drops her hand back to the ground and the cavern goes silent.

“...I don't remember these incidents…” ECHO murmurs, “I have no memory of faces, or buildings or tastes or smells...all I have are these echoes...but there are so many…” She turned to face him, “...Sans, I don't understand much. I just know that out of every voice I hear, yours is the most alone. I'm sorry I got you in trouble. I'm sorry I've been bothering you. But I...after hearing you, and realizing that, somehow, without ECHOES, you remember all these times and deaths...I didn't know how anyone could survive, carrying that much.”

Sans swallows, looking at his toes and stirring the dirt.

“...you have to leave.” ECHO notes, getting to her feet and approaching him. He trembles badly as she wraps her arms around him, but he holds on to her. “But you can always come back here, Sans. I don't understand much...but I’d still like to be your friend, if you'll let me.”

“....o-okay…”


	14. What a Tease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara experiments a little with something they've always wanted to try.

“...so...yeah i...i’m entirely uninterested in...being your friend or at all speaking with you. i think it’s best to just make a cold clean break and end ‘it’ here. okay?”

ECHO nods, “Yes. I entirely understand. I will not bother you anymore. My apologies.”

Sans winces at how robotic ECHO sounds. Lying obviously isn’t her strong suite. But then again it’s not like with a mix of different people’s voices she can sound like she’s faking it. Sans gives her a subtle thumbs up and turns and walks away down the hall back to Hotland, pulling out his phone once he’s a few rooms over, “you hear that?” He asks Chara.

_ “I did.”  _ They reply, sounding pleased.  _ “Now, return to the room. I have a... gift, for you.”  _ He can practically hear the smirk in their voice.

“is it a day off?”

_ “Do you  _ want  _ a day off?”  _ They ask.

“when do i not?”

“ _ Come to the room. We may discuss then _ .”

“alright, boss.” Sans sighs, hanging up and sliding his phone back into his pocket. Can’t be worse than anything else he’s been through so far...

  
  
  


“Undress and sit between my legs.” Chara orders, sitting with their legs spread on the bed of 202 once he enters.

Sans shifts his jaw, slowly taking off his jacket and shirt, dumping them off to the side and stepping out of his shorts, “hello to you too.” He mutters, crawling up onto the bed and kneeling in front of them.

“Turn around~” They say as they take out a blindfold.

“..is it a torture day, or...the other thing…”

“It’s a surprise. Now obey.” They say sternly.

Sans looks down at the mattress, shifting his jaw and slowly turning around, shutting his eyes as Chara ties the silk around his face and blocks off his vision.

They untuck his legs from beneath him, and they spread his legs. Then he feels their fingers at his pelvis. Sans stiffens, “what’re you doing?”

They don’t answer, instead, they weave their fingers around his sacrum, and he feels a slight pressure on one of the bones. Sans gives a pained hiss, back arching as he digs his nails into the mattress, grinding his teeth, “p-pain today th-then, huh?”

“Relax, I just tied a knot you crybaby.” They snicker, then he feels a slight friction lacing through his pelvic bones.

Sans swears, instinctively trying to jerk away and crying out immediately, pushing back to alleviate the pressure,  _ “fuck _ ! what are you doing?!”

They chuckle. “Stay still.” They reply, and he feels a slight tug where the pressure was.

He hisses again, leaning back against their chest and blushing as he hikes his hips up to try and make the pull go away, “f-fucking…” 

He feels the teasingly light friction return, higher up his sacrum this time.

“is it gonna destroy the fucking universe if you just tell me what in the hell you’re up to?”

“Yes, why else would I blindfold you?” They retort with a chuckle, and he feels the tug again.

“sensory enh _ hhhhhgg _ !” Sans huffs, squirming in place at the weird sensations stuck to his pelvis, “s-sensory enhancement…?”

They don’t respond, the repeated sensations gradually getting higher up on his sacrum. Sans grinds his teeth, grabbing fistfuls of the mattress sheets and breathing through his teeth.

He then feels a slight pressure at his spine, and the blindfold is removed. Sans gasps for air, looking down immediately at his pelvis and seeing that Chara has laced up his sacrum with pink colored ribbons, “th...th-the fuck…?”

“Cute right?” They ask with a smirk.

“...y...you have a weird sense of humor…”

“You’re just now figuring that out?” They ask as they pick him up and set him next to them on the bed.

Sans squirms uncomfortably, trying to keep his hips lifted off the mattress, “...feels fucking weird…”

“I’d imagine so. Now get dressed, we have dinner innnnn an hour.” They say, briefly checking their phone. “But it’s always good for the Prinx and their date to arrive early hmm?” They ask. “Your suit is in the dresser.”

“oh we’re official now, huh?” Sans asks, sitting up and grimacing, huffing through his nose, “i’m gonna look like i have to piss the whole time…”

“Then don’t move around as much.” They say smugly.

“i’m squirming because it’s fuckin’ uncomfortable, Chara.”

They shrug. “You’re the one complaining. Hurry up and get dressed.”

“well why would  _ you _ be complaining?” Sans mumbles, standing up and reaching back to pick at the pink threads. 

They grab is wrist tightly, pulling him close. “Touch them, and I’ll remove your hands.” They threaten.

“oh yeah? how're you gonna explain  _ that _ to the dinner guests?” Sans challenges. 

“It would have to wait till after, when I can drag it out, then stage an accident. You may lose your legs too. Who knows.”

“well aren’t you a kinky fucker.”

“Shall I dress you myself?” They ask.

“it’ll be easier to do if you let go of my wrist, probably.”

They smirk. “I’m sure you can manage.”

“you want me to get dressed with one hand.”

“Kinda, with that attitude you’re having.”

“well it should be fun.”

They toss him towards the dresser, releasing his wrist. “Get dressed.”

“wow and with both arms and everything. you spoil me sweetheart.” Sans rolls his eyes, pulling open the dresser drawers and digging around for his suit.

“Bottom drawer kitten~”

Rolling his eyes again, Sans crouches down and pulls open the bottom drawer, “nice try.”

“Nice try what?”

“i’m sure it’s in the  _ bottom  _ drawer for a reason but you’re not getting a show, Majesty.”

“That’s fine, I will certainly get one later.” They reply cryptically.

Sans glares over his shoulder at them as he starts buttoning his dress shirt, “mhm. only because i have no choice.”

“Which makes it all the better.”

“glad to know you’re not delusional.”

“You are certainly in a mood today.”

“i’m always in a mood.”

“Not this bad, should I do something to rectify that?”

“you're going to whether i ask you to or not.” Sans steps into the dress shoes, clacking the heels against the ground, “are these lifts? you insult me.”

“At least you come up to my shoulder now. Ready to go?”

“yeah. try not to stuff me to the point of immobilization okay sweetie?” Sans says with faux adoration as he steps out the door. 

Chara follows. “Don’t be such a pig then.”

“yep because i was totally begging for it. i’m just thinking of you, honeypot. what will your loyal subjects think if their benevolent ruler reveals themselves as a kinky, sadistic rapist?”

“Going for a record are we?” They say with an amused smirk.

“record of what?”

“How many snide remarks you can make about me before we reach a public area.”

“like i said - this is all entirely for your own good.”

“But alas, not good for your own.”

“because you're a poor sport.”

“I play by my own rules.” They retort as they draw nearer to the dining hall.

“that's fair.” Sans says sarcastically, rolling his eyes and shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“Hush.” They say as they open the door, and take their seat at the edge of the table.

Sans obligingly closes his mouth, frowning as he sits down and shifts uncomfortably. Damn laces...

“Comfortable Kitten?”

“peachy.” Sans says, barely keeping from growling. 

“Now, don’t be making a scene. Unless you was to embarrass yourself, because I’m not going to reload this dinner.” Chara warns as people start to file in.

“I’ll try not to whip out my Fractured SOUL or carved up sternum and humiliate you.” Sans mutters under his breath.

Chara just chuckles, and begins chatting with the nearby monsters.

About halfway into the dinner, Sans feels a low vibration in his pelvis. He jerks suddenly, his knee hitting the bottom of the table as he swears, upsetting his glass of water.

A few of the diners look over at him, some laughing. 

“Darling, be careful.” Chara chastises lightly as they use a few napkins to clean up the mess. They shoot him a brief smirk as they do so.

Sans tightly grips the table edge and says nothing as his face starts to turn a deep blue color. 

Charra rights his glass, and a server refills it. “What have I said about causing a scene?” They whisper as they kiss his cheek.

“turn it off.” Sans hisses back.

They don’t respond, instead, they sit back up and resume their conversation with the monster next to them. Sans doesn’t look up at his plate, although he tries to goad himself into distraction. His legs are twitching badly and he can’t get his breathing under control. All the ribbons that had previously been just uncomfortable and annoying are now all vibrating and making his bones crawl with uncomfortably high amounts of pleasure. He nearly starts drooling, and quickly reaches for his cup of water as its refilled, downing it all in one gulp and digging the nails of his other hand into the table cloth.

After a few minutes, Chara leans towards him again. “Still uncomfortable?” They mock in his ear.

“Ch-Chara p-please…” Sans whimpers, his pelvis twitching forward at the sensation of their breath on his neck.

“Do you want more darling?” They ask as they rest their hand on his leg.

His knee knocks the table again as he tries to push away from them, “Ch-Chara p-please t-turn it off i-it’s not f-funny j-just turn it  _ off _ …!”

“Turn it up? Very well~” Chara whispers. They sit up and the vibrations suddenly get faster.

“ _ GAH _ !” Sans slaps a hand over his mouth and ducks his head, sweat breaking out over his forehead as he digs his heels into the ground, whimpering and trembling madly. A few of the guests shoot him a concerned look, but Chara manages to distract them and continue the conversation.

_ ‘pull it together pull it together pull  _ **_it the fuck together, Sans_ ** !’ He breathes through his teeth, hearing a buzzing in his ears and not at all the voice asking if he’s okay. He’s not meaning to ignore anybody but if he doesn’t entirely focus on keeping himself mute he’s going to be a moaning mess all over this fucking table.

“He is bit shy, as you have probably noticed.” Chara deflects with a charmed smile. “It took a lot of convincing for him to come with me.” The vibrations lower again. “Isn’t that right darling?” They ask.

Sans barely muffles a whimper and manages to give a stiff nod.

Chara chuckles, and changes the subject, and the conversation continues. Sans wraps his feet around the legs of the chair and swallows, trying to take in slow, deep breaths as he drinks more water, ignoring his portion of food. He’s afraid to open his mouth to drink because what if he fucking loses it and  _ moans _ in front of everybody? Chara said they weren’t going to reload this dinner. Whatever he manages to fuck up here everybody is going to remember.

Chara notices his uneaten dinner and smirks. “Aren’t you going to eat darling? Surely you must be famished?” They ask aloud.

“nope.” He says tightly.

They place a hand on his leg. “Eat darling~” They say as they kiss his forehead. “Or else.” They add in a whisper.

Swallowing, Sans nods and picks up his fork. It rattles against the dishware as he fights to keep his hand steady. He’s already having to sit awkwardly so that he doesn’t make the entire fucking chair vibrate, and having to focus on eating doesn’t help.

It seems like years before the dinner is over, and still, Chara hasn’t dismissed themselves and Sans. They end up being the last ones in the dining room before Chara finally stands. Sans stays seated, putting his arms down on the table and burying his head in them as he allows a feeble moan to escape him.

Chara smirks, and turns the vibrations up a level. “Would you like to head back to the room darling?~”

Sans gives a choked scream, his hips pushing back against the chair seat as he nods, gasping for air, “y-yeah..”

“Would you like to walk, or teleport there? Choose wisely~” They warn.

“wh...wh-what’s th-that s-supposed to m-mean..?”

They chuckle. “Make your choice~”

He whimpers, his hips pushing into the chair seat, “d-d-do what you w-wanna Ch-Chara, o-okay?”

“I asked  _ you _ to make the choice kitten~”

“w-well th-there’s o-obviously a w-wrong a-answer a...and i’m not...r-really up for the...consequences of...guessing...ngghh...guessing wrong…”

“There are worse consequences for not doing as you’re told.”

Sans shuts his eyes, “w-well...w-walking would b-be more of a p-pain...s-so that’s p-probably the right a-answer, h-huh?”

“I’ll let you decide for yourself.” They say, taking his hand and leaving the dining room, and into the hallway, which is fairly crowded with lingering guests. Of course Chara stops to chat with literally anyone in front of them.

His grip on their hand becomes crushingly tight, although surprisingly not on purpose. His other hand is digging into his pant’s pocket, and his fingers are twitching with the urge to try and rub at his pubis as discreetly as possible.

It’s another hour before they finally make it to Chara’s bedroom. He immediately starts undressing himself as the door shuts, not caring what snide remarks they might make.

Chara turns the vibrator up two levels, watching him in amusement. Sans cries out and sinks to his knees, his unbuttoned shirt hanging from his elbows as he presses his head into the floor, keeping his knees tucked into his chin, “nnngghh..”

They pick him up, and lay him down on the bed, undressing him fully. He stares at the ceiling with glazed eyes, curling up his hands into fists to keep from trying to undo the ribbons on his sacrum and feeling his hips squirm against the mattress.

They turn it up one last level and straddle him, pressing his wrists to the mattress and licking his cheek. Sans moans, pushing his hips up against them and quivering, “gghhh...f-fuck…”

“Feeling desperate hmm? How many times did you climax during dinner you little slut?” They jeer, rubbing his ribs.

“ _ ahh _ ...n-none...t-trust me y-you w-would’ve kn-known…”

“How badly do you want to my little whore?”

Sans flinches, avoiding looking at their face, “..p..p-pretty b-bad, Ch-Chara..”

“And what makes you think you deserve it hmm? Not even a single apology for your attitude. TskTsk~”

“i s-said i was..gnn...sorry, d...didn’t i…?” Sans tries to think back and finds that impossible, “i w..w-was at least th-thinkin’ it…”

“Don’t lie to me kitten~” They purr as red shackles chain his arms to the headboard. “You will only get yourself into more trouble~”

Sans squeezes his eyes shut, his breathing getting heavier, “i-i-i’m sorry, Ch-Chara, o-okay? r-really sorry, i s-swear…”

“Ohh nononono. Itis much too late for that~” They say, lightly trailing a finger along his pelvis teasingly before removing it.

“ _ nnnngh _ …” Sans’s hips buck up before he can stop them, and he gives a fumbled swear, feeling his face start to get hotter. “Ch-Chara p-please don’t..d-d-don’t tease m-me..”

They chuckle. “Look at how pathetic you are~” They jeer, before rubbing his inner thighs.

Sans gasps and shuts his eyes tighter, his hips pushing up to try and meet their hand, “nnngh...p-please…!”

Magic cuffs pin his thighs to the bed. “Such a desperate little slut.”

“ _ ghhh _ ...y-yeah, y-yeah desperate wh-whore that’s me, okay? i admit it s-so you c-can just g-get this over with, n- _ hhhnn _ -...n-now…”

“See? I knew you were lying when you said you were sorry.” They scold, teasing their finger along his pelvis.

“ _ hhh _ nnn _ fuck _ ..!” Sans struggles to try and grind against their hand, but he’s forcibly held still, “Ch-Chara p-please, p-please f-finish me i r-really can’t f-fucking take this…!”

“No.”

“s-so y-you’re just g-gonna l-leave me like this…?!”

They nod. “Until I think you have learned your lesson~” They say as they take out a feather, and brush it lightly against his pelvis.

Sans jolts, a snort escaping him as he starts squirming, “h-hhff...wh-what the f-fuck- _ ha _ ! s-stop i-it!  _ gfff _ !” He starts thrashing as best he can, hips wriggling against the mattress and making his arousal worse as he tries to get away from the sensation.

Chara smirks as they let the feather through his notch, teasing the inside of his pelvis. Sans yelps, managing to kick out at them although the action is weak due to his bound thighs, “fuck!”

Chara snickers, brushing the feather in and out of his pelvis. “Look at you, so much of a pathetic whore that he would fuck a feather~”

“b-b-because i h-have s-so much ch-choice about th-that…”

“I can see the way your hips move with it, you can’t lie to me kitten.” They say as they trail the feather to his inner thighs, just before the cuffs.

Sans grits his teeth, tilting his head back and feeling sweat trickle down the side of his head, “hhhnn...gah...s-stop…”

Chara just hums, continuing.

_ “please _ !”

“Nah~” They deny with a smirk.

Sans feels his frustration build as he’s nearly brought to peak and they withdraw again. His throat feels unusually thick, but he can’t think fast enough to identify the warning sign in time to suppress it before he sobs.

“Aww, the desperate whore is also a crybaby~ poor little thing~” They coo, reaching over to wipe away a tear. “Still... I don’t think you have learned your lesson yet~”

“of c-course you d-don’t..” Sans says bitterly, pulling his head away, “s-s-so why should i e-even f-fucking try?!”

They chuckle. “Because you don’t try. Here you are, still mouthing off and proving tome you haven’t learned your lesson. It looks like I am leaving you like this overnight. Maybe then you will learn~”

“l-learn  _ what _ ?!”

“To watch your mouth idiot.”

“i-i’m k-kind’ve in a f-fit of sexual f-frustration, Chara! m-manners aren’t r-really at the f-forefront of m-my mind right now…!”

They shrug, and stand up. “Goodnight Sans~” They say as they head for the door.

“g-go to hell…”

They just smirk, and set the vibrator to randomize at random times to ensure he will be up all night. They wave as they exit the room, locking it. They can sleep in a spare bedroom for the night.

 

Sans nearly manages to drift off when the vibrator’s intensity suddenly increases again and he gives a yell, jolting in place and groaning. His forehead is soaked in sweat and he can’t get any rest. He just wants to come that’s all he can think about. He doesn’t care who does it he just wants to get off so he can go to sleep.

He feels himself starting to cry again out of frustration and lets it happen, far too exhausted to worry about anything like dignity at this point. He lets the tears fall down his face, moaning and rubbing his sacrum against the bedsheets as best he can manage, searching for relief and only getting himself more worked up.

“gghh...mmph..f-fuck…”

It’s easily one of the more difficult nights of his life.

 

He doesn't realize it’s morning until Chara saunters back into the room. 

“Good morning Kitten~” They greet.

“hhnnh...ggh..”

“How are you feeling? More complacent I hope?” They ask as they walk up and rub his head.

Sans leans into the touch, swallowing and nodding, “y-yes…”

Chara looks at him expectantly.

“...i’m...i-i’m sorry...i-i’ll be good…”

“What are you sorry for?”

“f-for being..mmph...hhn..” Sans struggles to focus, “b-being disrespectful…”

“Hmmm...” They say thoughtfully.

“c-can you p-please help me, n-now?”

“Help you what?” They ask, pacing slowly around the bed.

Sans squeezes his eyes shut as the vibrator increases another level, gasping, “h-help me f-finish..”

“What will I get in return?”

“wh-what do y-you want…?”

“Tell me how much of a worthless whore you are, and make it convincing.” They say with a smirk.

Sans swallows, looking down at himself, “th...th-that’s n-not really the o-oral job i w-was prepared to g-give..”

“Then I guess you really enjoy the frustration.”

He feels his chin tremble, “h..ha, y..yeah that's...th-that's me...w-worthless s-slut that’s j...just g-gonna end up l-locked in here f-for forever c-cause i...j-just fucking l-love it..” Sans mutters weakly. 

“Keep going~” Chara encourages.

He lays his head back and shuts his eyes, “no one's...n-no one’s even n-noticed that i’ve been gone, h-have they? i’m o-obviously not i-important...n-not like the Underground is g-gonna stop m-moving if i j-just s...s-suddenly dusted, is it?”

“It can go on almost indefinitely without you if I let it.” They say with a smirk.

“..yeah. you've done th-that before lots of times, h-huh..? s-so yeah..p-pretty fucking useless…”

The vibrator turns off. “What about how much of a selfish little whore you are?”

Sans gives a feeble moan, “a-all i could th-think about l-last night w-was cumming my b-brains out..”

“Keep going.” They order.

“i w-was imagining you t-touching me...i-it was all i thought about...i-it was all i w-wanted i j-just want you t-to touch me l-like a whore i w-want you to u-use me, Chara, p-please..”

“How do you want me to use you, little slut?” They ask, stepping closer to him.

Sans swallows, “h-however you want...i..i-i’ve spent h-how many f-fucking years trying to be useful to a-anybody and y...y-you’re the only o-one that w-wants me b-because all i’m g-good for is f-fucking because i’m a  _ useless, cheap, slut _ .”

“And a complete idiot. I asked how  _ you _ wanted me to use you. Not how I wanted to use you.” They spit, and the vibrations turn back on.

“ _ it doesn't m-matter what i want, Chara!”  _ Sans throws their own words back at them as he twists in place, panting and feeling more frustrated tears start to build up, “th-that’s what you  _ said  _ i’m j-just trying to r-repeat what i’ve b-been taught to th-think, Ch-Chara, please…” His voice dies out and he shuts his eyes, gritting his teeth and feeling his jaw start to tremble. There's no right answer. There's no fucking right answer...

They slap his face. “Still mouthing off instead of doing what you're told I see. I will give you another four hours to think.” They say as they begin walking away.

“Chara please!” Sans chokes, “i’m  _ trying  _ i s-swear to god!”

“And yet you are still failing.” They sing as they wave at him. “See you in four hours~”

He shuts his eyes, “o-one more t-try, p-please…”

“Why should I?” They ask.

“b-because you like it...y-you l-like s-seeing me like th-this, right? y-you wanna w-watch me b-beg, don’t you…?” Sans forces himself to keep his tone soft, his eyes wide and pleading as he pants, squirming his hips against the mattress.

They smirk, and lean against the door, crossing their arms. “Very well. Convince me.”

“i w...i w-want to h-hear you s-say you w-wanna use me...c-can i p-please hear it? i’m...i-i’m useless f-for anything e-else e-except you s-so i n-need to hear that you w-wanna use me...p-please…”

“I thought you wanted release?” They ask.

“i w-want what you want...wait, no that...th-that line didn’t w-work, huh..?” Sans gives a weak laugh, and then yelps as the vibrator is turned up, “ _ ghhhg _ ! i-it gets me o-on to h-hear you want me!” He blurts.

A curious look crosses their face. “Oh?”

Fuck. Sans turns his eyes away from them. “..th-that really a surprise…?”

“I guess I misjudged how pathetic you really were.” They say as they make their way to the bed.

Sans feels himself wilting against the mattress as he continues trying to avoid their eyes. It’d taken him a while to figure out too, to be honest. He’d been so deep in denial that it’d been months into this ‘relationship’ before he finally correlated Chara’s fake flirting (calling him ‘cute’, stroking his cheek and fluttering their eyes bashfully, giggling and blushing whenever he approached them) with the warmth that would suddenly start building up in his body. Being  _ wanted  _ like this was such a foreign and seemingly impossible idea it was like his own private kink.

He knew it was fake. There wasn’t a hint of doubt in his mind that Chara found him in reality to be disgusting and laughable, in every way. But his desperate and lonely mind was all too happy to make him indulge in this fantasy idea of being wanted.

It’s fucked up. But what about his situation isn’t?

“Oh darling, if only you said something sooner~” They coo, sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning over to scratch his skull.

Sans moans at the contact, gasping and arching his back, “nnnghh...f-fuck, Chara,  _ please _ …!”

“Please what darling?” They say as they lean close to him, biting their lip.

“c...c-c-can we do th-this like...p-properly, for once, y-y’know?”

“Do what properly?”

“sex...s-sex, Chara, it... _ please  _ h-humor me and p-pretend you l-like me for a b-bit?”

They smirk. “Very well.” They say as their smirk morphs into a warm smile and the restraints dissipate. They turn off the vibrator, and caress his cheek. “Good morning darling, how did you sleep?” They ask as they pull him into a soft kiss.

Sans snorts, but quickly turns it into a quiet chuckle as he moans, straddling their lap, “d-didn’t...th-thinking about you a-all night instead.” Not a lie. Not even slightly a lie.

They let out a soft moan. “I had a dream about you, and it made me realize how much I missed you~” They say as they lightly peck his chin.

Sans shivers, melting into the gentle touch and pushing his hips against them, “u-uh...mmph...wh-what was it about…?”

“You had me begging for you darling. You have no idea how much I needed you, how much I  _ want _ you.” They say, their voice dropping into a soft growl, and their lips ghost at his mouth as they wrap him in a gentle embrace.

Sans shivers at the sound of their voice, moaning and kissing the side of their neck. It’s so weird not having to fight the urge to snap their head clean off their shoulders. He dismisses it, reasoning that he’s been teased to the point of frustration and apathy as far as his real relationship with Chara goes. “h-hhgg...sh-show me th-then…”

They giggle shyly, allowing a blush to adorn their cheeks, and they begin to slip out of their clothing. Once nude they wrap their legs around him, tilting him forward, and them onto their back. They let out another moan as they grind against him. “Please...~” They whisper.

Sans feels his face flush and he swallows, dipping his hand between their legs and avoiding eye contact. What the fuck is happening...what the  _ fuck  _ is happening...

They arch their back and moan, their hands grabbing his shoulders, tightly, but not painfully so. “Hnng~”

Sans pants heavily as he starts feeling himself grow dizzy, swallowing and bucking his hips against them even as he tries to control the motion. If he can just finish them then they’ll take off the stupid ribbons and he can finally come…

It’s humiliating how much he’s forced to care about that, now.

They moan and squirm beneath him. “More nnng please darling~”

Sans stammers out an awkward “okay” and tries to work his fingers better, stubbornly refusing to let himself feel embarrassed at how clueless he really is at this. It’s not like it’s his fault. Chara usually prefers to just tie him up and torment him, not teach him how to ‘service’ them...

Chara pushes away the temptation to break character at his complete ignorance. They can mock him later for it. At least they aren’t as desperate for climax like he must be.

They continue to moan, making it seem like he is doing something for them. “A-almost~” They moan, making themselves sound needy.

He digs his teeth into the side of their neck, trying not to bite down too hard. He can see the subtle smirk in their eyes that they find his efforts hilarious but he takes a very small sense of satisfaction in knowing that they’re getting nothing out of this. Aside from his own emotional humiliation of course.

Whatever.

They let out another moan, real this time, to their enjoyment. Still, they grind into him, stimulating him as they start to feel a little bored and impatient. Sans starts gasping and panting, tilting his head back and squeezing his eyes shut as he starts to sweat vigorously, “g-gah...f-fuck...Ch-Chara…!”

They pull him into a kiss as they see the signs of him getting close. He moans into their mouth, eyelights dialating as he starts giving little thrusts with his hips, gulping and trying to take in deep breaths, “a-ah...ah...f-fuck…”

“Come for me darling~” They murmur, bringing a hand to his pelvis.

Sans  _ whimpers _ , bracing his forehead against their shoulder and thrusting faster. He does them the courtesy of leaning back as he finally comes, not yelling in their ear. His eyes squint up and Chara can easily see his whole tongue with how wide his mouth opens in order to let out a scream that sends shiver up and down their spine. He collapses forward into their arms, gasping and moaning.

Chara just stares forward in surprise at the sudden heat in their core. Holy fuck.

They clear their throat, sitting up. “Did you enjoy the little game Kitten?” They ask, dropping character.

Sans nods, knowing he should sit back and pull away but feeling too damn tired. “mhm…”

They chuckle, and lay him down on the bed,not bothering to tuck him in as they redress. “Farewell my pathetic little lover~” 

Sans winces but just curls up and allows himself to pass out.

He more than deserves a rest, in his opinion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm looks like Chara gets turned on by Sans actually getting off properly


	15. Pretend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Make-believe is easier than handling the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are soooooooooooo sorry for the delay, mates.  
> Here u go

In spite of them officially being ‘together’, now, Chara hadn't kissed Sans in public before. He hadn't expected them to, either, and so when they grab his hand while handing him paperwork and pull him in, he's just as shocked as the gasping bystanders. His eyes stay wide as they pull away, winking and leaving him to collapse into his chair and stare blankly at the wall.

Wow. Okay.

“you're not...embarrassed?” Sans asks in a mumble when they stop by later and brush his blushing cheek with their lips. 

“Why would I be embarrassed of showing affection darling?” They ask with an innocent grin.

Sans turns his eyes down, “...dunno. guess i thought i was a...back closet experiment…”

They caress his cheek. “Silly, we are official now~” They sit up and take his hand. “Which reminds me of our date in an hour.” They say as they kiss his hand, before releasing it and sauntering off.

Sans rubs at his cheek as he watches them walk off, turning his head down but finding it hard to focus. Was this how it was going to be now?

It wasn't... _ so _ bad...if they were going to be this nice about their ‘relationship’, then...playing along is the least he could do...

 

Thirty minutes before the ‘date’, Chara pulls him into their room, smirking. Sans swallows, hand already on the sleeve of his jacket. “b-bit impatient today, huh?”

“Time crunch obviously.” They scoff as they push him onto the bed.

“wh-what’s time to a time traveler, huh?” Sans questions, tugging off his hoodie and pushing it off to the side.

They just smirk and stand at the vanity, primping a bit. “Getting undressed? Are you that much of a whore?” They mock, turning back to him.

Sans shifts his jaw, slowly grabbing the blue fabric back and starting to pull it back over his shoulders. Had it  _ really  _ been that assumptuous of him?

They snicker. “Well, don’t stop on  _ my _ account. Go on with your little strip show~”

“..i’m...g-gettin’ mixed signals here, Chara…”

“What mixed signals am I sending? I already knew you were a desperate slut, so go ahead.”

He shifts his jaw and pulls his jacket tighter over himself, drawing his legs in and staring at the floor. Well that killed the mood.

Chara steps up to him. “Come on whore, I  _ want _ to see you~”

“...y..do you  _ really  _ or y-you just gonna m-mock me some more..”

“I thought it didn’t matter to you?”

“w-well maybe it does.”

“Well, what should matter is the fact you are deliberately disobeying me.”

Swallowing, Sans turns his eyes to the floor and starts undressing again, avoiding looking at their face as he peels off his shirt.

“Come on, make it a show like the slut you are.” They jeer.

“...Chara…” There’s nearly a whine to his voice.

“Do I have to force you?” They ask with a smirk.

“...no, but…”

“But what? I don’t recall asking for an argument.”

“c...c-can’t we pretend again..?”

“Acting is for the crowds, kitten.” They say, lifting their hand. Sans feels his arms start moving on their own.

The movement is robotic, however, and even more awkward than him. It hurts, though, which motivates him. “o-okay, okay, Ch-Chara, i’ll do it l-let go..”

“Will you?” They ask, making his hands rub harshly at his ribs.

Sans gulps and nods, “i-if you r-really want…” He tries to shrug casually. 

“What makes you think I don’t?” They say, letting him regain control.

“you just h-haven’t...clearly said so.” He gives another ‘casual’ shrug, standing up and squirming out of his shorts.

Chara opens their mouth to say something more, but they chuckle and smirk once they process his words. “Oh, you really are such a slut. Yes, I want you to strip for me.”

Sans weakly kicks off his shorts and waves his hands in a ‘tada’ motion. 

“If I want you to leave this room without your clothes, would you do it?” They ask with a smirk.

Sans pales a bit, “u-uh...m-maybe if there w-was a fire…”

“Are you sure?”

“p-pretty sure…”

“What if I set the room on fire?”

“wh..why...why would you d-do that..”

They shrug. “Just an idea. You did tell me you wouldn't obey unless there is a fire in the room.”

“yeah but th...that seems a little extreme...i don’t think...i-i mean your..goal is probably to humiliate me b-but i don’t think a...naked skeleton is really super s-scandalous to most monsters, so…”

They smirk. “Just a possible outcome.” They say, before standing up. “Get dressed, unless you want to be naked for our date~”

“...we goin’ out…?” Sans is all too happy to get dressed in the casual suit they hand him, rubbing absently at the death scar on his sternum before buttoning the jacket up.

“I did tell you beforehand. You really should listen better. Come along.” They say, holding out their hand as they open the door.

Sans hesitates, but then lets his fingers rest in theirs, following them out cautiously.

 

They exit the castle, and they lead him to a fancy local restaurant. As soon as they enter, Sans feels the vibrator on his sacrum start buzzing its lowest setting.

“Ch-Chara…” He whines, pressing his knees together and halting.

“Come along darling, we have a reservation, and we don’t want to be late~” They say with a soft smile.

Sans swallows and obediently follows after them, taking deep breaths and trying to ignore the sensation in his pelvis. He waits until the waiter stops fussing over them before asking in a low voice, “if...if i’m behaved th-then you won’t turn this...up any further, right? that’s the game we’re playing?”

They shoot him a grin, lifting up his hand and kissing the back of it. “Of course my darling~”

Sans forces a smile, luckily the blush in his cheeks helping make him look bashful, “h-heh...you’re...really spoiling me, huh?”

“I want you to get anything you want Darling, I love to see you happy after all~”

His eye twitches as his first instinct is to give a disbelieving scoff.

_ ‘just believe it. just believe it for now.’ _

Sans ducks his head and rubs at his cheek, “geez...o-okay, Chara wh...if you’re...really sure…”

They kiss his hand again, before releasing his hand and looking over the menu. Sans withdraws to do the same, finger twitching against the plastic cover as he restlessly taps his foot.

“Know what you’re getting darling?” They ask a few moments later.

“burger looks good..” He forces out, “...uh, so do you, b-but you're not on the menu…”

Chara giggles, and blushes. “You charmer.” They praise.

Goddamn they're good at this faking emotions thing...he's really having to play catch up here. “maybe for dessert?”

They giggle again. “Sounds sweet~” They reply with a wink.

Sans shifts his jaw subtly, looking them up and down and mostly focusing on their expression before turning his eyes back down to his menu. So far so good..

The waiter comes up and Chara tells him their order. Sans stammers his out in a relatively coherent manner, only losing his train of thought once, which Chara helpfully brings him back to by nudging his foot.

Luckily it’s mistaken as him feeling bashful and so hopefully he earned a few points...

Once the waiter leaves Chara smirks at him. “Dessert huh?”

“w..w-was that too corny? i d..i mean i-it’s not like i’ve really..flirted before..”

“I have an ear for it.” They say with a shrug. “I might just take you up on that offer, if you think you can do it better than last time.”

“uh what...what offer…?”

They chuckle. “You told me you wanted me for dessert.”

“...uhm…”

“Don't tell me you’re not planning on making good on that promise?” They say with a pout, and the vibrator intensifies.

Sans yelps, loudly, gripping the table edges and leaning forward, eyes wide, “f-for fuck’s sake Ch-Chara i d-don’t know what you mean!” Sans yell-whispers, panting and squeezing his eyes shut.

They lean forward to whisper. “You act like you have never done oral before.” They smirk as they sit up.

Sans stares at them for a few seconds longer before it finally sinks in, “o... _ oh _ ...fucking…” He sits back, dragging his hands down his face and shivering. “fucking…”

The vibrator goes back to the lowest setting. “You really are so adorable.” They say with a hint of a mocking tone.

“...ha...yeah…….you too…”

Their food arrives, and Chara begins eating. “So darling, how was work today?”

“nothing...new…”

Chara nods, and continues to eat. 

The ‘date’ goes on as Chara continues to make small talk and flirt. Sans awkwardly fumbles along the script as best he can, mostly succeeding in just making an idiot out of himself. But he supposes that can be mistaken for him being a ‘fool in love’ or whatever.

Hopefully it’s enough to keep him out of trouble.

His anxiety climbs a bit, as is obvious by his rapid finger tapping, when the bill is collected and he and Chara are bid a good day. He doesn’t even notice the vibrations in his pelvis anymore. Did he sell it? Did he do good enough?

Sans’s eyes lift to study Chara’s face as they get up and gather their things, trying to get an answer from their expression.

“Don't forget your things darling.” They say with a smile.

“...i didn’t..bring anything.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Come on~”

“..y..y-yeah. right behind you.” Sans murmurs, rubbing anxiously at his arms as he follows them out.

They leave the restaurant, taking his hand gently. Sans allows it, squeezing their palm, more out of a desire to release some pent up tension than to demonstrate affection. Chara takes their time walking back, swinging his hand in theirs as they stroll along, talking and laughing and stroking his arm.

Sans feels his gut twist as the castle entrance comes in sight, and by extension, his judgment. He tries to laugh along with Chara as they make bad, flirtatious puns, giggling and winking at him. All he succeeds in doing is looking ill.

“I had a skele _ ton  _ of fun on our date, darling~” Chara purrs as they enter the courtroom, “You're such a charmer.”

More like a bumbling idiot. “u-uh...y..i-i’m glad y-you had fun…”

They frown, “...did you  _ not _ ?” They question in a murmur, brow crinkling.

Shit. “n-no th...i-i mean yeah, y-yeah of course i did, i...y...y-you just...y-you make me…” ‘Nervous’ sounded bad. Is running away an option at this point? Sans observes their knitted fingers and decides no. 

“...I make you what?” Chara prompts.

Sans feels himself starting to sweat. “i...i-i d-don’t know. i..th-the word isn't...i-it’s not comin’ to me.” Why can't he stop  _ fucking up _ so bad?!

Chara frowns slightly, pulling their hand free and turning away. “...I see….”

_ S h i t. _

They start to walk away and Sans grabs their wrist, “wait! Ch-Chara! i...i-i’m a...a f-fucking idiot with...with words right now but m...m-maybe i can...can sh-show you?”

They turn to him. “Show me how?” They ask, crossing their arms.

Sans swallows, glancing around at the different members of the court. He gives an embarrassed laugh at how many eyes are on them. “..you, uh...r-really want me to...tell you? w-with an audience? d..d-doesn’t s-seem too...a-appropriate…”

“Oh, but you can tell me I’m a bad date in front of them? If you didn’t like me you could have just said so.” Their voice cracks, imitating emotion. But their eyes are coldly fixed on him.

They turn again.

Sans starts shaking, “Ch..Ch-Chara th...th-that’s n..that’s n-not what i meant..p-please..”

They turn back around. “Then do whatever you were going to do. Say something, do something to prevent me from walking away right now.” They say, a hint of an order in their voice, masked by false emotion.

“i-i don’t want you to leave!” Sans blurts, breathing picking up, “i-i’m sorry i fucked up! i...y-you...m-my brain f-fucking  _ quits  _ when i’m around you Chara, i..i had a good time! i honest to stars did!” 

“Then why can't you show me?” They ask, walking towards him and taking his hands gently.

Sans bows his head, clutching their hands tightly and giving them a weak laugh, “...w-well...you..promised m-me dessert...just didn’t, uh...th-think you’d...want that public…”

They giggle , blushing, before pulling him into a kiss. “You fucking idiot.” They whisper so only he could hear.

Sans trembles, “i-i’m sorry-”

“I forgive you.” They say aloud, pulling away, and taking his hand, leading him off.

His hand slips into his pocket and he hurries after them, the forced smile on his face immediately dropping the moment they step into the right wing, “Ch-Chara, i-”

They turn sharply, smacking him across the face. “For being a needy little slut you sure don’t act like it.” They lecture.

Sans hits the wall and sinks to his seat, “i..i-i wasn’t...expecting...the...i th..i th-thought-”

“You weren’t expecting to be tested?” They ask, looming over him.

Sans trembles in their shadow, pressing back into the wall, “h...h-how o-often d-do d-datef-friends t-test each o-other…?”

“We are not  _ actually _ date friends you fucking idiot.” They sneer grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet as the intensity of the vibrator increases to max.

Sans cries out, his knees giving as he slacks against them, “h-hhn...w..w-we c-could b-be, th-though…?”

They enter the room, and throw him onto the bed. “Not if you are going to call me a bad date.” They say with a chuckle.

Sans forces a smile as he shifts to his seat, his shaking hands betraying his nervousness, “th...th-that’s r-really..th-that’s n-not what i was trying to..to s-say…”

“Well, a profession of love is what you didn’t say. Instead you just talked about sex.” They chuckle. “How pathetic and needy can you sound?”

Sans winces, “i...y….y-you’re the...the f-first person to...to e-ever show an interest in me...i...i-i’m trying to...to f-figure this all out…”

“People are going to buy our relationship better if it's about love rather than sex you moron.” They say as they climb onto the bed.

Sans swallows, shifting his hips against the mattress, “..s-so make the o-opposite true…?”

“Obviously. It's like you have never acted at all.” They say with a chuckle.

Sans scratches at his skull, swallowing, “n...n-not to this b-big an audience…”

“Well, you better get used to it. I’m already so close to punishing you.” They threaten as they lean against the headboard of the bed.

Sans swallows, laying back and trying to breathe steadily as the heat continues building up in his bones, “r...r-right.”

“Well?” They ask expectantly, spreading their legs.

“......oh. yeah.” Sans slowly turns onto his stomach, clenching his teeth and shivering, “mmph...c..c-can you m-maybe turn this..d-down, o-or off, s-so i can focus…?”

“Do you think you deserve it?” They ask.

“wh…..wh-what…?”

“Do you deserve to have it turned lower? Focus or not you will do a good job or face punishment.”

Sans swallows, “...please..?”

“Is that it?” They question after a moment of silence.

“...i..i-i wanna do a good job, Ch-Chara, b...y-you know m-me…” Sans gives a weak laugh and turns his eyes down, “...t...t-too m-much of a...d-desperate wh-whore to...t-to focus p-properly w-with any...kind of distraction..”

They sigh. “You didn’t answer my question nor did you beg properly. Perhaps you do need to be punished after all.” They say as they start to get up from the bed.

“w..w-wait, Chara, w..w-we h-had such a g-good day…” Sans pleads, scooting away from them.

“The you better make use of the limited time you have left then hmm?” They warn, pausing long enough for him to act.

“..o-okay...okay, j...j-just lie down, i...i-i’ll manage.”

“Tch, when I say I want my question answered, or when I want begging, what do you think that means?”They ask, standing and grabbing his arm.

Sans tenses, “i...p-please l-let me t-try again…?”

“I already gave you a chance. I have better things to do than waste my time with your incompetence.” 

They begin dragging him out of the room.

Sans stumbles after them, squirming uncomfortably every step of the way as panic overlaps the forced arousal caused by the toy tied to his sacrum.

They lead him into the dungeons, and into the torture room, throwing him to the floor. “Strip.” They order, summoning their whip.

Sans gulps, turning his back to them as he obeys, shakily pulling off his jacket and shirt, folding them carefully and pushing them off to the side, followed by his shorts.

“Hands against the wall.”

He obeys, pressing his forehead against the brick and swallowing tightly.

“When I ask a question, what do I expect?” They quiz.

“a-an answer, Ch….y-your Majesty..”

“So how come you haven’t been answering my questions?” Chara asks, stepping forward and lightly brushing his nape. 

“b-because i...i-i’m h-having t-trouble f-focusing, y-your Majesty…” He shivers as they trace his spine, a feeble moan escaping. 

“You seem to be answering just fine  _ now _ .”

Sans shivers as their touch trails lower, nearing his sacrum, “n-nh...p...p-please…”

Their touch leaves.

A whine escapes him, “Ch-Chara p-please…”

_ Fwip _

_ Crack _

“What will you do next time I ask a question?”

Sans yelps, hips pressing into the wall as he gasps and struggles to reorient himself, “i...i-i’ll a-answer it, Ch-Chara…”

“And when will you answer it?”

“i-immediately, Ch-Chara…”

“Now I want you to beg me to whip you.”

“p-please wh-whip me, Ch-Chara.”

They trail a finger down his spine. “You need more practice than I thought.” They mock, trailing their finger around his hips. “Beg.”

“a-ah…” Sans squeezes his eyes shut, “p-please..p-please, i w-want you to wh..to wh-whip me..”

“Better, but still not convincing.” They scold, continuing to tease him.

“nnh...p-pretty sure y-you just l-like hearing m-me beg..”

“Then I guess you better please me then.”

“a-ahhn...f-fuck, Ch-Chara p-please…” Sans gasps, pushing his hips back against their hand, “i-i can’t t-take it..”

“Why should I whip you, how bad do you want it?” Chara directs.

“mph.” Sans licks around his mouth to rid himself of the ticklish sensation of sweat droplets on his cheeks, “i-i deserve i-it...i r-really fucked up...i w-want it r-really bad, y-your Majesty, p-please..”

“There we go.” They praise as they step back.

_ Fwip _

_ Crack _

Sans screams, his face flushing darker as the lash strikes his pelvis,  _ “a-ah! Ch-Chara _ !”

_ Fwip _

_ Crack _

“f-fuck me!” Sans chokes, eyes widening in horror as he processes the words well after they’ve left his mouth.

They pause. “What was that  _ darling _ ?” They question.

“...i..” Sans ducks his head, “...n..n-nothing..” He says in a weak vvoice

_ Fwip _

_ Crack _

“I expect honesty when I ask a question as well.”

_ “ah _ ! gg-gh..” Sans squirms restlessly in place, panting, “y..y-yes Chara…”

_ Fwip _

_ Crack _

“I’m waiting~”

“i...i-i s-said ‘f...f-fuck m-me..’”

“How do you get me to do what you ask?”

“i-i b-beg a-and h...h-hope f-for M-MERCY..”

“Then I guess you better get started then hmm?”

“g-ghn..p-please y-your M-Majesty i w..i w-want y-you to f-fuck me...p-please…”

“Then let’s go fuck.” They say with a smirk as they dissipate the whip.

Sans falls to his knees first, gasping in relief before forcing himself back to his feet and hobbling towards them, his back dripping with marrow, “th-thank you..”

“Grab your clothes darling~” They hum, walking towards the exit.

“...r..r-right..” Sans steps back and picks up the garments, holding them in his arms and not bothering to get dressed. The right wing is empty, anyway, and he’d just get blood everywhere.

They hold the doors open for him with a smile, as if he hadn’t just gotten whipped. He forces a shaky smile in return, holding out his hand for theirs.

They take it gently as they lead him into the room and on the bed. Sans knows better than to think he’ll be taken care of first. He sits down, moaning at the stimulation this gives the vibrator in his pelvis, “gh...y-your Majesty, p..p-please...p-please t-teach me h-how to s-satisfy you..”

“You can start by kissing me.” They say, pleased.

Sans nods, putting himself into their lap as they sit down and pushing his tongue through their lips immediately.

They moan softly, pressing against him. “Don’t forget to touch me.” they say as they let their hands roam his bones in demonstration.

Sans shivers, nodding and trailing his fingers down their waist, “th-thank you, y-your Majesty..”

“You’re welcome~” They murmur, moaning as they press back into the kiss.

“mmnh..” Sans pulls back after a second, hesitating and then turning his attentions to the side of their neck, licking and gently biting at their flesh.

They give a pleased moan as they tilt their neck for better access. Relieved that he’s finally doing something right, Sans bites a little harder, nudging them onto their back and bracing his knees on either side of their hips.

“Mmmn~ Keep touching.” They direct.

“y-yes your M-Majesty.” Sans moves his touch to between their legs, stroking their inner thighs.

They squirm into his touch, moaning.

“a-am i d-doing okay, th-then..?”

They nod. “T-tongue is good too.” They add, starting to pant.

Sans represses a shudder, scooting down, “o-okay..p-please tell m-me what to d-do..”

They begin to instruct him explicitly, moaning as he obeys. Sans presses his tongue firmly against their sex, licking slowly and watching their face to keep track of how well he’s doing. Chara coos soft praises to him as he works, occasionally correcting him as they stroke the back of his skull.

“F-faster.” They instruct breathlessly as they come close, their chest rising and falling rapidly. “Don’t s-stop.”

Sans obeys, working faster and persistently with his tongue as they climax with a sharp cry, their hips bucking. He pulls back as they come down, wiping his mouth on the sheets and catching his own breath.

“Oh darling, you did so well~” They praise, pulling him into a kiss.

Sans gives a weary huff, smiling weakly at the praise and resting his head against their chest, “th...th-thanks..”

“Though I better see improvement next time.” They say, pushing him off of them and getting off the bed.

Sans falls back, wincing and rubbing at his sternum. So much for that tender moment. “..u-uhm, c..can i…?” His voice trails off.

They look at him for a moment before smiling. “Oh right, almost forgot that you were in need.” They say, returning to the bed and leaning over him to kiss him.

Sans grabs hold of their arms, pulling them in tighter and squeezing his eyes shut as he pushes his tongue into their mouth, moaning.

“Tell me what you want darling~” They say as they tease his bones with their fingers.

“a-ahn...mph...t-touch me, p-please…”

“But I _am_ touching you, my little idiot.” They tease, licking at his neck.

“th-that’s wh-what i w-want.” Sans pants.

They chuckle. “Very well.” They begin letting their hands roam his body, touching every bone but his pelvis.

“n-nh...Ch-Chara  _ p-please _ n-no m-more teasing, o-okay?”

“I’m touching you like you wanted~”

“i w-wanna  _ c-come _ , Ch-Chara…!”

“Then ask darling.”

“h-help m-me come…” Sans begs.

Chara smirks, and then gives him a loving kiss, “Tell me you love me~”

Sans balks, opening his eyes and staring at them, “wh...wh-what…?” Maybe he misheard...

“Did I stutter?”

“i...n..n-no…” Sans still hesitates. It's just words right? It means basically nothing. “...uhm..i-i...i love..you.”

“Like you mean it darling~”

“...i dunno how.” Sans mumbles.

“How would you say it to your brother?” They ask, cuddling next to him and gently rubbing his chest.

Sans gives an uncomfortable laugh, “uh, n-not the way i’d say it to a lover…”

“Then show me how you would tell your lover.” They say, licking at his ribs.

“i..i-i don’t  _ know  _ i-i’ve n-mph…” Sans tenses and then relaxes slightly, moaning, “...n-never h-had one..”

“Pretend.”

Sans takes a deep breath, staring down at his lap. Pretend. Pretend. Just pretend. It makes this whole game a lot easier anyway. “..i...i-i love you.” He murmurs.

“One more time. Say it like you are saying it from your soul.” They direct.

“g-geez, y-you’re really...milking me h-here…” Sans laughs weakly. Pretend. “i...Ch..Chara, i l..i l-love you…”

“There we go~” They praise as their fingers begin stimulating his pelvis. “Now.” They say in a sweet voice, whispering in his ear, “..call yourself a filthy slut.” They sneer, their loving smile turning vicious.

Sans flinches like they’ve struck him, pushing away from them, “wh..” 

They pin him in place. “Do it. Now.”

“Ch-Cha..Ch-Chara p-please, i don’t want-”

Their fingers pull harshly on the strings. “Do I need to repeat myself?”

Sans cries out, collapsing forward into their lap as his hands fight to reach his pelvis, his chest heaving desperately, “ _ a-ah _ ! Ch-Chara!”

Their other hand captures his wrists. “ _ Obey. _ ” They growl.

“Ch-Chara p-please i d...d-don’t t-turn it around l-like this, p-please, i-i wanna pretend!”

They tug harder at the strings. “Perhaps we will never pretend again if you keep acting this way.”

Sans gives a loud moan at the pull, his eyelights going glassy. “g-ghnn...a-ahn, p-please…!”

“Say. It.”

Sans shuts his eyes, trying to hold back the tears, “..i..i-i’m a f-filthy s-slut.” He says through his teeth.

They release his wrists, and begin stimulating him gently again. “Good boy~” They praise, kissing him. “That’s my dirty little whore~”

Sans swallows, turning his head away from them and saying nothing. Why...why did they have to ruin that…

Chara leans down and licks the tears off his face, chuckling darkly.

_ ‘because they like it. they like seeing me in pain. why the fuck do i do this to myself…’ _

Their hand starts moving faster. “Getting close?” They ask.

Sans nods numbly.

They finger him to orgasm, and they shut off the vibrator. “Good boy~” They coo, laying back against the headboard and pulling him into their lap. They know when to do damage control, and judging by his expression, now would be the key time. “You’re so perfect…” They whisper softly to him as they stroke his head, kissing the top of his skull repeatedly, their voice one of hushed awe, “My perfect Sans..I love you so much~”

The numbness slowly leaves his expression and he looks up, finding the stupid part of him melting at the look on their face. They’re so fucking practiced at faking that even though he  _ knows  _ they’re faking, he’s half-buying it. “...you do…?” He asks, voice strained.

_ ‘they don’t.’ _

They let out a soft laugh. “Of course I do darling~”

_ ‘they  _ **_don’t_ ** _ …’ _

Sans swallows tightly, forcing a smile, “..good...g-good to hear y-you say so…” He rests his head back against their chest and shuts his eyes.

Just pretend...


	16. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's always consequences for seeking solace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucy is sorry for this but Sammy is cackling bc she's a lot more evil than you guys think she is

“Come on Sans, time to get up. We have to leave soon.” Chara says loudly, tearing him from sleep. They wander about the room, preparing for the day.

Sans sits up, rubbing his eyes and murmuring a ‘yes Chara’ as he swings his legs over the side of the bed. “can i please take out these ribbons, Chara?”

“Fine, but only for today, since you have a mandatory check-up later today at the infirmary.” Chara murmurs.

Sans frowns as he starts struggling to untie the pink knot, “i do…?”

“The nurses want to make sure you are recovering well from the sleep drug. You know, since you made such a big deal out of it.”

“s-speakin’ of, uhm, i..i ran out of the..the bottle that you gave me, can..can i have more…?”

They sigh. “We will pick some up after we visit the nurses.”

“th-thanks..” Sans has developed a habit of taking the drug in the morning to prevent more horrible nightmares at night - he knows he should’ve been trying to wean himself but he doesn’t see the point. Chara would just put him back on it, most likely.

“Hurry up now if you want more of the drug.”

“y-yes Chara..sorry…” Sans sits up, pulling his clothes on quickly. 

Once he is dressed Chara grabs his hand and leads him into the hallway, expression pleasant as they greet the various staff in the busier part of the castle. Sans offers weak smiles in response to those addressing him. It’s pathetic but at least Chara’s back is turned. And no one seems to note the decaying expression anyway.

They pull him to the infirmary, where neither of the nurses are in view.

“Sirona?” Chara calls. A few seconds later Kennie emerges from the back room. She looks like she hasn’t slept in a couple days.

“Yes? How can I-... Oh, right Sans’s check up. Have him lay down here.” The feline instructs absently, pointing at a bed and rushing around the room to grab forgotten items.

Sans does so, a bit of life coming back into his features as he looks at Kennie in concern, “where’s...where’s Sirona..?”

“Sh-she uh... she isn’t feeling well.” Kennie says, voice wavering.

Sans sits back up, “what’s wrong?”

Kennie pauses to take a deep breath. “She has just been really tired lately. N-no appetite either. N-nothing to worry about. I’m sure she will be fine.” She lies. “Undress please.” She asks.

Without thinking Sans removes his shirt, “h-how long has she been sick..?”

“A day or two after your last-” Kennie cuts off as she sees the scar on his sternum. Chara, who is currently sitting out of Kennie’s immediate view, just smirks at Sans. Almost daring him.

Kennie moves closer to the scar. “Wh-what happened here?”

“.........................” Sans digs his fingers into the mattress. “.....i-i...don’t...know…?”

Chara looks about ready to laugh.

“You don’t know?” She asks dubiously.

“...uhm. it’s not important.” Sans tries to dismiss. “it’s fine. don’t worry about it. can i see Sirona?”

Kennie gently trails her finger over it. “It's a scar, Sans how long has this been here?”

Sans winces, shuddering as he tries to repress flashbacks. He gives a loose, overly casual shrug. “dunno. it’s just kinda there.” 

“.... You said you wanted to see my mom?” Kennie asks, dropping her hand and moving to grab a medical gown.

“yeah. yes. please.” 

She hands him the gown. “She is... She’s not in the best state.” Kennie warns.

“that’s okay.” Sans pulls it on, getting back to his feet. “is she talking still?”

“Not really...”

He follows her, “...is sh...she’s not...not falling down, right…?”

“...h-hard t-to say.” Kennie says with false hope, opening the door and leading Sans inside.

He steps in quietly, eyes falling upon the cat elder lying in bed, “....Siri…?”

Sirona stays still for a long moment, before turning and meeting Sans’s eyes, a sadness he recognises in her gaze. He kneels at her bedside, shakily reaching out a hand and stroking the top of her head as he forces a smile. “h-hey...how’s it goin’..?”

“I’m so sorry...” She whispers, weakly taking his hand.

“...c-cat hasn’t g-got your tongue a-after all, huh?” He laughs weakly, gently squeezing her hand.

She doesn't respond, gaze dropping to the floor.

“...i’ll be fine. y’know? i’ll be fine. so’ll Kennie. she’s a tough one. don’t...don’t be wasting any time feelin’  _ guilty  _ of all things. that’d just…...be dumb...don’t do that.” 

She still doesn't respond. She just pulls her hand away weakly.

“...is there...i-is there anything i can do…?” Sans asks, voice cracking.

“I’ve tried everything.” Kennie says quietly.

Sans had meant more along the lines of a final favor, but Kennie probably still hasn’t come to terms with the fact that her mother is falling, and so Sans says nothing. He just slowly stands up, giving Sirona a light scratch behind the ears and stepping back. “...if...i-if there’s ever anythin’ either of you guys need…” His voice breaks and he falls silent, taking a deep breath.

“I’m sorry...” Sirona whispers again.

“hey, you’re fine.” Sans says steadily, smiling at her, “...just get some sleep, huh?”

Kennie kisses her mom’s forehead, purring softly before sitting up again. “Shall we continue your check up?” Kennie asks, turning to Sans.

“....yeah okay…” Sans ducks his head and follows her back to the clinic.

A few minutes of looking over his health and wellness, Kennie hands him his clothes. “You seem a lot better than last time you were here.” Kennie observes. “Please, don't worry too much about my mom, alright?” She says.

“...okay. still, uhm if...i-if there’s anything you need, Ken, don’t..don’t hesitate to ask, alright?” Sans says as he pulls his clothes back on, grateful to be covered up again.

She nods. “Take care yourself.” She says, before leading him back to Chara.

His head bows a little further as he approaches the human, fighting to urge to run back into the clinic.

“How was your visit?” Chara asks smugly once the two are farther down the hall.

“...guess...g-guess you knew, huh…?” Sans says quietly as he puts his hands in his pockets.

“She is so weak. Easy to give up. Common in timelines where something bad happens under her watch.” Chara says.

Sans feels his SOUL tense, “...it..i-is it my fault…?” 

Chara nods. “I will let her dust be on your hands for this one. Next time you will keep to yourself hmm?”

“h-how was i supposed to avoid it? i-i can’t cover death scars…”

“Maybe you should become a better liar then.”

“wh-what was i supposed to  _ say  _ Chara?” 

“Why should I bother if you’re too stupid to figure it out on your own?”

Sans drags his hands down his face, taking in a shaky breath and saying nothing.

“You own incompetence killed her.” Chara says as they exit the castle, making their way to Hotland.

Sans swallows tightly and quickly turns on his heel, heading for the courtroom. There’s gotta be some paperwork or something for him to do...

“Where do you think  _ you’re _ going?” Chara asks.

“...d...d-did you want me to follow you? i th...i didn’t think we were…” Sans steps back towards them, wringing his hands, “...d-doing anything today…”

_ ‘i need a break from you.’ _

“The sleep potion, remember?”

“..y-yeah but i thought you were...gonna give that to me later…?” 

“We have to go get it first darling~” They coo.

“wh-why we? j-just tell me where i-it is and i can g-go get it myself…s-save you some trouble..” 

Chara chuckles. “Be careful what you are asking. However, if you insist...” They trail off, making a save point.

Sans swallows and nods, “y-yeah...i-it’s no problem.”

“The lab. Ask for Falena. I expect you back in an hour. Come late and you will be punished.” They say with a smirk.

“...Falena…?”

They kneel down, kissing him on the cheek. “Good luck~”

Sans swallows, “...c..c-can i take the amulet o-off for a bit? s-so i can teleport? p-please?” 

“Perhaps if I need to reload.” They sat with a smirk’ Standing straight. “Have a safe trip darling. I love you~!”

Sans winces, turning his head away from them and starting to walk to the lab.

“Remember. An hour.” Chara reminds as he walks off.

“..y-yes your Majesty…”

Chara smirks as they watch him walk off, casually pulling out their phone and sending off a text before setting a timer for 60 minutes. “Oh I hope you don’t run into any trouble, Sans.” They hum before laughing and practically skipping their way to court.

 

Sans’s eyes stay down as he enters the lab, rubbing at his arm and looking around anxiously. “...Alphys..?”

No response. Of course. She’s probably hanging out with Undyne or something.

Sans sighs quietly and steps in further, trying to suppress a shudder, “.............................................Falena…?”

For a few seconds there’s no response. Then a door that Sans didn’t even notice is pushed open, and the taller lizard scientist appears, grinning at him. “Hello Sans. What an unexpected surprise.”

He’s so sure.

He weakly raises a hand in greeting, “...h..hey. uhm...i’m...i’m just here to pick something up for Chara...nothing fancy…”

“Why would I be expecting you to return to  _ real  _ work, Sans?” Falena scoffs, beckoning him to follow her as she reenters her private lab, “Ever since your HP dropped to 1, it’s just been far too dangerous for you to work here, hasn’t it?” She rolled her eyes, “At least in the parts of the facility that  _ are  _ actually dedicated to science rather than busty cartoon women.”

“mhm.” Sans decides not to take the bait for argument. “like i said. just here to pick up something for Chara. a...a sleeping potion.”

“Ah, yes. Of course. I designed it myself.” Falena smirks back at him as she opens up a large cabinet.

There’s a surprise. What with the god awful side effects of nightmares from hell itself, Sans decides it makes sense. He says nothing.

She puts a small case on the table, “I hope this won’t be too heavy for you. Though of course you can teleport, can’t you? It shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

It wouldn’t be if Chara hadn’t somehow tightened up the magic restriction on the amulet. Sans just moves to pick up the case.

“Oh but what’s this?” Falena grabbed at the small silver chain on the back of his neck, jerking it towards herself and choking him, “Another little pet project of mine. How cute~”

“ _ ghk _ !” Sans stumbles back, trying to pull it free from her grip without breaking it, “F-Fae-!”

“Chara has really taken an intense interest in you, haven’t they? It’s adorable, really.”

“ _ Falena l-let go _ -!”

She smirks and does so, to his surprise. He yanks it forward too hard and it breaks. Sans tumbles forward and his hands and knees smack against the cold tile floor of the lab as the necklace clatters to the ground. “... _ shit _ .”

“Oh dear.”

“Falena you  _ fucking _ -”

“Now now, that’s no way to talk to the only person capable of fixing this.” Falena picks up the amulet, running her claw over the break mark, “No, it won’t work at all like this.”

Sans’s eye twitches. “...so leave it.”

Falena laughs, “Oh I’m sure that would be ideal for you, wouldn’t it? You think Chara won’t notice?”

“might not.” He grumbles, picking himself back up, “but you’d tell, wouldn’t you? too loyal to your ex.”

Falena rolls her eyes, “It’s not a matter of loyalty.” She grabs the front of his shirt and yanks him forward, his toes leaving the floor as she holds him up, smirking, “It’s a matter of enjoying your suffering~”

Sans swallows as subtly as possible. “...you should really learn to let grudges go, y’know…”

“Hm, this is no small petty matter, Sans.” She holds up the broken amulet with her other hand, “Would you like me to fix this or not?”

Sans gives a shaky sigh and nods, “...yeah. what’ll it cost me?”

“Just a look at your SOUL.”

He stiffens. “no deal.”

Falena shrugs and releases him. “Fine then. Be off.” She carries the broken trinket away, dumping it into the waste bin.

Sans grabs it, using his magic to fix the chain and staring at the obvious break in the trinket. He shifts his jaw, starting to slowly walk to the exit after tucking the case of potions under his arm.

What’s the chances of them noticing, really?

So long as he doesn’t use his magic…

Sans gives a weary sigh and stuffs the amulet under his shirt, carrying the case with both hands and starting to walk to the Capitol. That means no cheating by teleporting, so the long route it is.

 

Chara is sitting on their throne, debating with a noble when he arrives. He steps off to the side, holding the small crate and waiting silently for them to finish.

“I meant what I said Nyx. I don’t yield easily. Now, if you will excuse me...” Chara stands. “I have other engagements that require my attention.”

The noble rolls her eyes but begins walking away. Chara turns to Sans. “That was quicker than I expected.”

He shrugs weakly, “...i took the boat.”

“Hmm. Let’s put that case away then shall we?” They ask, looking him over.

He avoids their eyes, resisting the urge to try and stuff the amulet further down his shirt. “‘kay.”

“Wait, was Falena there?” They ask.

“yeah.” 

They look him over again, expression betraying nothing. “Hmm. Well, let's continue.” They say, urging him forward.

“....” Sans waits until they’re out of earshot of anybody else. “...Chara if you want to hurt me you don’t need to wait for an excuse to ‘punish me’, y’know…”

“I know. But it makes things more entertaining.”

“okay. makes sense i guess.”

“So, how did your visit with her go?”

“fine.” Probably smoother than Chara had been hoping for.

“I see... Sans where is the necklace I gave you?” Chara asks once they reach the abandoned wing.

He pulls up on the chain so they can see it, “right here? i never took it off.”

They glance at it. “Then can you tell me why your eye is glowing?”

Sans blinks, putting his hand over his socket. “...i don't know. i don’t feel anything…”

They snort. “You really are a shit liar.” They say as they take the case from him and tightly grabbing his arm.

He follows them as they pull him along, saying nothing. 

“So, did she give you a fake one?” They ask once they enter the room.

“no.” Sans takes off the amulet, “it broke.”

“Why did you try to hide this from me?” They ask, looking over the amulet.

He shrugs weakly, putting his hands in his pockets and looking down. 

“I believe I asked you a question.” Chara says, turning to him.

“...i...i-i dunno. i thought you wouldn't notice. i dunno. i’m sorry.”

“How do you think I should punish you?”

“i dunno.”

“Three days of solitary should do. If you are going to keep things from me.” They say, setting the case down and dragging him towards the dungeon.

He follows silently. It doesn't matter. 

Chara eyes him. No protests, no fighting... he has his  _ magic _ for god’s sake.

Nothing.

Chara huffs in irritation, hand holding him a little tighter and turning back away. He winces, bringing his other hand up over his chest and pressing against his sternum, fingers shaking.

They lead him to the back room of the dungeon, and they retrieve a magic-restriction collar. He tilts up his chin and stares at the ceiling as they approach him with it.

They secure it tightly around his neck without a word. He stiffens, eyes squeezing shut as his back hits the wall. He sinks to his seat, trembling and turning pale as he holds his hands over his SOUL. His breathing shakes. It hurts.

Chara smirks at his pain, lingering a moment longer before turning and walking out, the door slamming shut followed by a click of the lock.

Sans swallows and draws in his knees, waiting until he’s sure Chara is gone before pulling out his SOUL. His eyes lock onto the fracture on the side of the white heart. His eyelights shrink slightly and quiver - just as he feared.

He puts the SOUL back, being careful not to touch it directly. Considering how much Sans hates himself, it’d be dangerous to trust that he’d remain in control enough of his intentions to keep from Splitting the damn thing. And it obviously can’t handle much more abuse.

This is probably a blessing, really. He’s alone for three days - no Papyrus, no Sirona, no  _ anybody _ ...but at least he’s not with Chara. It’ll help clear his head a bit.

Sans lays down on his side and closes his eyes. He can only hope it will, anyway...

 

 _“Why_ _did_ _you_ _kill_ _her!?”_

_ He covers his head with his arms, curling in on himself, “i-i’m sorry...i-i had to tell s-somebody..i h-had...i h-had to i’m s-sorry i didn’t kn-know..” _

“ _ How selfish! You took my mother from me!” _

_ “i’m s-sorry…i’m sorry i d-didn’t know.” _

_ Kennie’s figure walks up to him. “You have become less than useless. Can’t you help yourself!?” Her voice seems to echo from all around him. _

_ Sans gives a broken smile, staying where he is. “...heh...n-nope…” _

_ “No, you just have to drag others down with you.” She spits before fading to dust as Papyrus takes her place. _

_ Sans flinches and looks up, wiping the spit from his face as Papyrus silently stares down at him. “...heh….h-hey bro…” _

_ “I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU BROTHER.” _

_ Sans turns his eyes down, “...y-yeah...i-i don’t blame you…” _

_ “WHY CAN’T YOU TALK TO ME INSTEAD OF HURTING OTHERS? WHY DID YOU HURT HER? SHE WAS INNOCENT.” _

_ “and you’re not?”  _

_ “I AM YOUR BROTHER. YOU SHOULD CONFIDE IN ME. WHY DON’T YOU TRUST ME?” _

_ “because you’ll try to do somethin’ about it.” Sans mumbles, folding his arms over his knees and resting his face against them, staring ahead numbly. “then they’ll kill you in front of me a couple hundred times until the message sinks in for me.” _

_ When he looks up again, his brother is fading to dust, and he sees a familiar, lopsided, pale face smirking at him from the darkness. _

**_“WELCOME BACK SANS._ ** _ ” _

_ Sans starts shaking all over, silently backing away further into the darkness, away from the presence. Not real. Not real, he tries to remind himself. Not real. _

**_“ARE YOU SURE SANS? “_ ** _ The figure asks. Sans feels tendrils beginning to crawl around his bones. _

_ “get outta my head G...that’s...that’s kinda rude…” He shudders. _

_ “ _ **_LIKE THROWING YOUR SUPERIOR INTO THE VOID?_ ** _ ” A dark chuckle echoes around the skeleton. The vines pin Sans to the ground. _

_ Sans closes his eyes and doesn’t respond. _

_ “ _ **_Trying to ignore me Sans?”_ **

_ “trying to ignore everything. don’t take it personal.” _

_ “ _ **_HOW IS THAT WORKING OUT?”_ **

_ “you know saying the words ‘work’ and ‘out’ in the same sentence put me to sleep, G.” _

_ “ _ **_You are already asleep.”_ **

_ “true.” _

_ The tendrils begin pulling on his bones, stretching him painfully. Sans grits his teeth, sockets watering at the pain. He supposes in imaginary land, he has no HP to worry about. Nice. _

_ The tendrils circle around his neck, into his mouth and out his eye sockets, pulling on his head. He grows tense at first, but gradually becomes limp. He’s going to be suffering these nightmares for three days - no sense in getting himself all exhausted now. _

_ After all. Things are only going to get worse. _

 

Chara hasn’t bothered to tell anyone where Sans is. They haven’t come up with any excuse or reason. When asked about his location they simply shrug, curious to take in their subject’s reactions. They all seem surprised that Chara doesn’t care. Good. That means their front has been well maintained.

And after they fetch Sans and reload, it will continue to be that way.

They descend into the dungeon.

“Daaarling~” They call as they open the door.

They see him huddled away in the corner, jacket off in spite of the cold as he hugs it tightly, rocking back in forth in his seat and muttering to himself.

“Would you like a small dose of your medicine?”

He nods, every bone rattling as he struggles to take in even breaths.

“Come here darling~” Chara coos, kneeling and holding open their arms.

He struggles to get up, but his legs collapse under him and he shakes his head, panting.

“Poor thing~” They coo once more, shifting closer to him. They pick him up and holding him close.

“...’m s-sor-ry..” Sans wheezes.

“Good boy.” They say, holding up a small bottle. “Open your mouth~”

He obeys, his jaw parting and his eyes squeezing shut.

They let only a drop enter his mouth. He swallows it immediately, trembling and curling up tighter.

Chara kisses his forehead. “Feeling better?”

“w-water…” He begs.

“Let’s get you some water then.” They say with a smile, standing with him in their arms and exiting the dungeon.

He stays limp, shutting his eyes and letting his head rest against their chest.

“So, do you want me to reload so you can try again?” They ask.

Sans nods, “p-please..”

They smirk, and reload.

Sans sinks to his knees immediately where he is, holding his hands over his SOUL and forcing himself to take in deep breaths. 

“Hurry up and recover. You have your drug to collect.”

“i-i’m sorry.” He whispers. 

“Good, then I expect you to do this correctly then.”

Yeah right.

Sans gets to his feet, tucking his hands under his arms and shuffling away towards the Lab, pulling his hood up as he makes his way there. 

As he walks away, Chara takes out their phone and sends a quick message to Falena.

' _ Don't let him leave _ ’.

 

He knows where the case is. It'll be a simple pick up mission, hopefully. In and out without his old sadist colleague even noticing him. Sans slips into the lab doors, heading for the obscured door in the wall and attempting to pry it open.

It slides open a second later, and the green reptile stares down at him with a raised brow. “..not even going to  _ attempt _ knocking, were we?”

“sh-shit…” Sans stumbles back quickly, “s-sorry...i-i’m just here for a...a pick up...:”

“From the way you are acting, I’d think it was a heist.” She sneers.

Sans lets out a breath. “do you have the sleeping potions?”

“Perhaps I do.”

“can i please just pick them up and go…”

Falena offers a smirk as an answer.

He closes his eyes, “...that’d be too easy, huh.”

She steps aside and holds open the door, “Do come in.”

Sans’s shoulders slump as he steps inside, flinching a little as she closes the door behind him, “...F-Fae i don’t really wanna-”

“I have very clear instructions from the Prinx regarding your little visit, Sans. We wouldn’t want to upset them now would we?”

His eyelights fall to the floor, “...no.”

“I didn’t think so.” She clears various items off of a flat table and pats it, like bidding a pet to come sit.

Sans swallows subtly and pulls himself up, rubbing the heels of his sneakers together as Falena pulls out the case of potions and sets it aside, “I take it these are for you?” She questions.

“..yeah.”

“Oh dear. That could be a problem...I designed these myself you see and I’ve been told there’s some rather unfortunate side effects.” She tisks, keeping her back turned to him as she starts scribbling on a spare piece of paper.

Sans just shrugs. More script talk. “it’s fine.”

“I suppose. I mean, so long as you take it regularly you should be just fine. And I’m sure Chara is very careful to keep you medicated, aren’t they? Since they care about you so dearly.”

“don’t be so jealous.” Sans says monotonously.

Falena rolls her eyes and scoffs at him, “Being coy are we?”

“i’m more of a trout.”

She squints over her shoulder at him.

“...’koi’...”

Her eyes roll harder and she gives a huff, “Here I thought Chara had properly extinguished all the annoying parts of your personality.”

“so all of it?” Sans takes off his jacket at her impatient gesturing. It’s sort of a relief, he guesses, to be able to talk with someone that understands Chara’s true nature. He just wishes this lizard didn’t condone their sadistic behavior, and also mirror it.

“Obviously.” She pushes his chin down and forces his mouth open, “Form your tongue.”

Sans squints at her. How does she know…

Seeming to read his mind, Falena chuckles, “Who else would Chara have to brag about their multiple findings on your biology? They can’t exactly have thorough scientific discussions about your rape with any other monster.”

Sans pulls his shoulders back and gives a weak glare, nevertheless forming the tongue and trying not to flinch as she pulls on it.

“Is it usually this dry?”

He’s all too happy to close his mouth as Falena releases him. “no. why do you care?”

“I’m observing the physical symptoms of withdrawal, obviously. You’re only at stage one, so it isn’t likely there’d be too many.” She writes something else down on the paper and takes a long metal device in her other hand, running her claw over the bottom of his socket, “Do tell me if this prompts any flashbacks~”

Without further warning she pushes the probe into his left socket. His eyes widen and he tries to push back, yelling. Falena happily sets the device aside as he screams at her, grabbing the sides of his face and spitting into his open mouth. The venom quickly takes effect and he goes limp, his eyelights extinguished as Falena lays him down.

“I had a feeling you were going to throw a fit.” She laughs lightly as she picks the device back up, “But how else am I supposed to get readings on your magic? Unless you’d like me to put this..” She holds up the probe in his lined of vision, “Into your SOUL instead?”

“h-hhf..”

“I thought not.” She hums, “Now hold still.” She gives a little giggle as she scrapes the edges of his socket. As though he has a choice.

The probe enters his socket again and Sans weakly cries out, his stilled bones rattling slightly. Falena’s face starts to glitch out, being replaced by one more smooth, and white. The cold curiosity is still there, however. Not surprising. She did like to mimic the old scientist’s demeanor as much as possible, and was doing it now for extra kicks.

“He did like pushing your limits, didn’t he?” Falena asks in a quiet voice as she pushes the probe in further, happy to hear the pained choking noise this elicits, “I know he never showed it but I think gathering results was his favorite part.”

Sans grits his teeth, trying to take in deep breaths. It’s not him. It’s not  _ him _ .

“He never had to struggle with making sure not to deplete your pathetic 1HP however, did he?” Falena tisks, eyes narrowing in concentration, “So, choose not to believe it if you wish, but I  _ am  _ being as careful as possible. Causing you pain would not be worth it if I had to deal with the consequences of dusting you.”

After what feels like hours, she withdraws the probe and Sans gasps in air, fingers twitching as the venom’s effect starts to wear off. Falena plugs the device into her computer, writing out the results displayed on screen. “Interesting...I didn’t think addiction would cause an effect like this..tell me, Sans, have you found your magic storage to be more...drained?”

“y...es…” He wheezes.

“Fascinating. I suppose what little magic your SOUL can access with the amulet on is being used to try and purge the addictive effects. All to no success, of course. How delightful.”

Sans just gives a feeble, “nnhhy..”

“As soon as you can stand on your own, you can leave.” Falena reassures in a soothing voice, smirking back at him. “It should only take another twenty-five minutes. I do hope you’re not on any sort of time crunch, are you?”

“ff’k you.”

“Some other time, perhaps, when Chara is feeling less possessive.” Falena hums, unplugging the probe and dropping it into a sterilizing solution. “But don’t worry. I’m sure that won’t be for quite a long time.”

Sans closes his eyes as his chest tenses. Longer than Falena could know. Stars, when can this all just  _ end _ ? He wants to go back to Snowdin…

“Farewell, Sans. You know how to find the exit, I trust?” She takes the paper and strolls away to a room further in the back, leaving the paralyzed skeleton alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not EXACTLY socket fucking but I hope u guys enjoyed *cough askellie*


	17. Pep Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans presents Papyrus with a hypothetical scenario.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'll wanted some papyrus right?

Chara sits in their office, updating their journal as they wait for Sans to return. Their run has been going smoothly so far, but they feel anxiety start to creep into their awareness. They haven’t reset in a while, and their instincts are telling them to do so. However Chara pays it no mind. It happens every time they let time pass normally. The worst that happens are just new scripts to memorize and learn.

Nothing to worry about.

There’s a brief knocking on their door before Sans stumbles in, holding his left socket and watching the floor.

“Welcome back. How did it go?”

Sans sets the case down on their desk and backs up. He shuts the door and slides to his seat against it, hugging his jacket tightly around himself. “..f-fine.” 

“Did she break it again?”

“no.”

“Do you remember how much time I said you had to return?”

“a-an hour.”

“Do you know how long it’s been?”

“l-longer than a-an hour.”

“I presume you remember what I said about taking longer than an hour?”

“y-yeah.” Sans draws his knees in, resting his forehead on them.

“Meet me in your room. I will be there soon.” They say with a smirk. Nothing is keeping them other than the desire to instil anticipation in him.

He staggers back to his feet, pulling his hood up and heading for his room.

They chuckle to themselves as they lean back in their chair, stretching. They get back to their journal, and 15 minutes later they stand, making their way to his room.

 

They find him curled up on his bed, hugging a pillow to his face and trembling.

“Scared darling?” They ask with a smirk.

“...o-oh...Chara...r-right…” Sans forces himself to sit up, his sockets still black as he scoots against the headboard. “p-punishment...y-yeah.” 

“What were you thinking about if not me?” They ask, making their way to the bed.

“...y-you don't know h-him.”

“I know everyone.” They counter.

“G-Gaster.”

They pause for a moment, trying to recall something on the tip of their memories.

“y-yeah.”

“Well I-” They cut off as they try to remember. “I-I may?” They sound confused.

“unless you w-were unfortunate enough t-to work close with him y-you wouldn't remember. th-there was. a-an accident.”

“I remember that... but Gaster...” They repeat the name, trying to put a face to the name.

“...c-can you just..h-hurry up a-and torture me already s-so i can be distracted…”

They break from their train of thought, turning to him. He looks so pathetically small.

They smirk, and their magic begins to chain him to the bed. “If you insist darling~”

Sans gives a grunt as his limbs are stretched, forcing his eyes to stay open and fixed on Chara’s face so he can reassure himself it’s just them, and not his old boss.

They summon their whip, sending it down on his chest without warning. He gives a staggered cry, his back arching. “ _ ghn _ !” Fuck he hopes Papyrus is out training...he should be at this hour but that’s hardly going to stop his paranoia. He's being loud enough for the next door resident to easily hear, if he's there at all.

They strike again, harder this time to elicit a louder response. He cries louder, anticipating their sadistic want, squeezing his eyes shut.

They raise their hand to strike again,, but they hesitate when an idea comes to them. He flinches and ducks his head, taking in a shuddering breath and trying not to pull on the restraints.

“Hmm, I’m thinking we should take this elsewhere...” They say, voicing their thought.

The restraints vanish and Sans sits up, panting and rubbing at his sore sternum. The whip hadn’t had any barbs or anything, thankfully, and so it hasn’t torn his shirt. But it still hurts. “gh...hh..”

“Follow.” They order, walking up to the door and opening it.

He obeys, getting to his feet and shuffling after them, pulling his hood back up.

“Quickly.” They say, as they begin down the hall.

Sans gives a weary sigh and follows at a faster pace. Whatever they have planned can’t possibly be worse than anything they’ve done to him already.

 

“ _ h-hha _ ..Ch..Ch-Chara-!”

“Shh, love~” Chara coos, using a sweet tone as they turn the vibrator up another level, tugging at the lacing on his sacrum as they pull him back against their lap.

Sans grips the bookshelf tightly, whimpering as Chara’s pinky traces the rim of his notch, driving him to push back against their fully clothed body. “s-some o-one is g-goin’ to s-see…” He squeezes his eyes shut, unable to keep back a whimper as they kiss his neck. “h-hhf..”

"No worries darling. Hardly anybody ever comes back here to these shelves, and they should have no reason to.....unless you keep making those cute noises.." They say, nipping at the spot they kissed.

“i c-can’t..” Sans whimpers, back arching as his mouth parts, his heels digging into the floor as his legs spread. The shorts around his ankles prevent him from fully exposing himself, luckily or otherwise. Chara pushes up his shirt and toys with his sternum and ribs as their other hand tugs at the ribbons again, just as he brings his grinding under control. He moans and tucks his chin against his chest, panting and rubbing back against them.

“Then don’t complain darling~”They coo.

“h-hha...g-ghn...p-please…” He whimpers, writhing against their grip on his sacrum, “p-please..” 

“Please what?” They ask, tugging it again.

He yelps and claps a hand over his mouth, trembling, “s-stop..”

They chuckle. “You are asking me to stop your punishment?” They ask quietly, smirking.

He nods, looking up at them with desperation. 

“How cute~” They say, before turning the vibrator to its max.

He barely keeps from screaming.

His fingers dig into the flesh of their legs through their robe as his back arches, his body writhing desperately as he holds his breath. No. No no no he can't  _ take  _ this for much longer. 

“Don’t come yet.” They deny.

“c...c-ca-an’t...h-hold o-out..” He whimpers, unable to keep from grinding into their hand. 

“If you come before I say so we will be here longer~”

“wh...wh-when, th-then…?”

“When I say so.”

Sans shuts his eyes, forcibly stilling himself and holding his breath. 

They drop a string, and starts gently pulling on the one still in their hand, causing the ribbon to shift.

Sans gives a whimpery moan, his legs twitching. “ghn..h-hh..”

They chuckle. “You make such cute noises darling~”

He goes slack against them, panting, “p-please..”

“Alright,” They say with a chuckle and a kiss to his cheek. “Come for me~”

He grips their wrists, allowing his hips to buck against their hand as his breathing gets faster, “h-hn..gh..h- _ hhf _ ..!”

“You can do it darling~” They urge with a smirk.

Sans whimpers, clenching his teeth and doing his best to keep himself quiet as his body tenses, “g-ghn..Ch-Cha-ara..”

“Such an obedient little slut hmm?” Chara jeers as he finishes.

Sans swallows, reaching forward to pull his shorts back up and saying nothing.

Chara turns the vibrator off as they straighten themselves out as well.

“Come along, then.” They say to him as they start walking out. Sans pulls himself back into order, putting his hood up and shuffling after them with his head bowed.

“SANS!”

The small skeleton freezes, and then looks up, turning around. “...Paps…?” He says, as if he can’t believe the sight of the royal guard rushing up to him.

Chara looks surprised as well. “Evening Papyrus, don’t you have your duties to attend to?” They inquire politely.

“YES! DUTY NUMBER ONE!” He promptly scoops Sans up in a hug, cackling delightedly, “I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN AGES, BROTHER! YOU’VE BEEN KEEPING BUSY I HOPE?”

“..P-Paps..” Sans chokes, hugging Papyrus back tightly and pressing his face into his chest, “...h-heh...y..y-yeah..s...s-super busy…”

_ ‘don’t let go.’ _

Chara smiles. “You would be proud of him.” They state. “He has been extremely helpful with a personal research project of mine. Your brother is quite intelligent.”

“OF COURSE HE IS! HE'S THE SMARTEST MONSTER I KNOW!” 

Sans doesn't trust himself to speak anymore, and so says nothing.

“MAY I BORROW HIM? I'D LIKE TO GET CAUGHT UP! IT'S BEEN DAYS SINCE WE'VE HAD A PROPER CONVERSATION!”

“Perhaps for a few minutes, but he has been working hard, and he is exhausted.” They allow.

Papyrus frowns, “ONLY A FEW MINUTES?”

“i-i can probably hold out for an hour..” Sans says in the best joking tone he can muster, looking over his shoulder at Chara pleadingly, eyes desperate.

_ ‘please.’ _

“Half an hour, Papyrus can visit.” They allow. 

Sans closes his eyes and hugs his brother tighter, “‘kay…” He’s barely able to keep his voice from shaking. “y-you wanna go to Grillby’s, Paps?”

Papyrus groans loudly but sighs, “FINE! JUST THIS ONCE!”

Sans smiles in spite of himself as Papyrus sets him down, miraculously able to keep his legs from wobbling, “great. let’s go, bro.” He happily leads the way out of the castle, listening to Papyrus’s eager chattering about the royal guard duties he’s been up to as they board the ferry and head back home to Snowdin.

 

Sans knew at this point that they were gonna be out for more than half an hour. That was okay. So long as he could convince Chara that  _ he  _ should be punished, and not Papyrus, things would be okay. Though it was disturbing that it was getting to the point where he was accepting potential risks to his brother.

But he feels so detached. He hasn’t seen the other skeleton in so long.

“SANS?”

“hm?” Sans glances up from the table, looking at his brother tiredly and forcing a smile, “sorry bro, you say something? i kinda zoned out.”

“NO, NOT YET.” Papyrus frowns (an expression that still manages to make Sans’s SOUL ache a bit), and puts his mittens on the table, “SANS ARE YOU...OKAY?”

“...” Sans sits back a bit, glancing out at the mostly empty bar before looking back at Papyrus, “...mind if i ask you a weird question, Papyrus?”

“OF COURSE I DON’T MIND. WHAT IS IT?”

Sans taps his fingers on the tabletop, “...if...if you were...stuck...living the same couple of days over and over...and you were the only one that remembered...and you  _ had  _ to do the same things over and over...things that you...really hated doing….and you had to pretend like you were happy. nobody could know you were anything less than perfectly content...” Sans thinks carefully about how to phrase the next part. “...how would you……..keep going?”

Papyrus balks for a second, but then furrows his brow bone, tapping his chin in deep thought. “HM...THAT  _ IS  _ A WEIRD QUESTION, BROTHER!” He admits, “MAY I HAVE A MINUTE TO THINK ABOUT IT?”

“course bro.” Sans takes a deep sip of ketchup. Not like he’s planning on heading back anytime soon, in spite of his internal timer telling him that it’s been twenty nine minutes.

After a minute, Papyrus looks up from his milkshake and smiles confidently, “I WOULD CHALLENGE MYSELF!”

Sans glances up as well, “hm? what.”

“I WOULD CHALLENGE MYSELF!” Papyrus repeats, “IF ALL I COULD DO WAS THE SAME THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE DOING EVERY DAY, THEN I WOULD CHALLENGE MYSELF!”

“...how.”

“I WOULD GET GOOD AT IT! ALL OF IT! REALLY GOOD! THE  _ BEST _ !” Papyrus holds up a gloved finger, “AND THEN! I WOULD GET EVEN  _ BETTER _ ! I WOULD SEE HOW I COULD MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY! AND THEN EVEN HAPPIER! EVENTUALLY, EVEN THOUGH I HAD TO DO THINGS I HATED OVER AND OVER, AT LEAST I WOULD BE THE BEST AT IT, AND IT WOULD BE EASY! MAYBE THEN I WOULDN’T HATE IT ANYMORE! I MIGHT EVEN ENJOY IT!”

Sans gives a weak chuckle, resting his chin on his hand and nodding. “...alright. guess i’m not surprised. okay...what if...there’s an opponent. trying to do everything they can to make sure you’re miserable?”

The smile drops to be replaced by the ‘thinking face’ again, and Papyrus goes back to rubbing at his chin. “WELL...I SUPPOSE FIRST, I WOULD TRY TO FIND OUT WHY.”

“okay. you find out why, and it’s basically ‘just because’. and let’s put ‘befriend them’ off the table, too, while we’re at it.”

“WHY?”

“because it’s impossible.” Sans says flatly. “what do you do?”

“...I SUPPOSE I JUST WOULDN’T LET THEM MAKE ME MISERABLE.”

Sans gives a weak laugh and sits back. “alright. of course it’s that easy.”

“I NEVER SAID IT WAS EASY!” Papyrus admonishes, “IT’D JUST BE ANOTHER CHALLENGE!”

“why bother? why not just let ‘em win?”

“BECAUSE IF I’M MISERABLE, THEN I DON’T FEEL LIKE HELPING ANYBODY.”

“what’s the point of helping anybody, though?” Sans says bitterly. “they don’t help you.”

“THEY DON’T? NOT EVEN ONCE?”

“n-” Sans stops, looking down at the table. “.......some of them do.” He mumbles. “at a cost to themselves.”

“...WELL THEN THEY JUST NEED MY HELP EVEN MORE, DON’T YOU THINK? BESIDES, EVEN IF THEY DIDN’T HELP, IT’S NOT LIKE THEY’D KNOW! IT’S THE SAME DAYS OVER AND OVER, AND I HAVE TO AT LEAST  _ ACT  _ HAPPY, RIGHT? I SHOULDN’T GET UPSET WITH THEM JUST BECAUSE I’M DOING MY JOB CORRECTLY! AND IF I  _ AM  _ HAPPY THEN THEY DON’T NEED TO HELP ME AT ALL!”

“what about the opponent?”

“I WOULDN’T NEED HELP WITH THEM! I COULD FIGHT THEM MYSELF!”

“no, you don’t...you don’t fight them. you can’t hurt them. you have to act like you like them.”

“OH. WILL THEY HURT  _ ME _ ?”

“..sometimes, yeah.” Sans admits. “pretty badly. and you can’t fight back.”

“...THAT  _ WOULD  _ BE DIFFICULT.” Papyrus admits, “THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I EVER FACED. BUT! THAT JUST MEANS IT’D BE MY GREATEST FEAT WHEN I WIN!”

“you don’t  _ win,  _ Papyrus. it doesn’t end.”

“EVERY DAY WOULD BE A WIN IF I END IT HAPPY! EVEN IF IT DOESN’T END, SO LONG AS I FIND A WAY TO BE HAPPY, THEN THAT’S WHAT MY OPPONENT DOESN’T WANT. THEREFORE, I WIN!” Papyrus beams, “IS THAT THE RIGHT ANSWER?”

Sans taps the table slowly, contemplating, “....i guess it is, Paps.” He looks up, smiling a little, “...you’re so cool.”

“NYHEHEH!” Papyrus grins, and then looks at the clock on the wall, “OH! YOU’RE LATE! WE HAVE TO GET YOU BACK!” Papyrus puts some gold down on the table and picks Sans up like luggage, rushing him out the door.

And for once, Sans’s smile doesn’t fade the moment Papyrus isn’t watching.


	18. Getting a Feel For It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans tries to be casual and Chara puts him in a dress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cross-dressing

“You’re late.” Chara says, disapprovingly, once Sans walks into their office.

Sans holds up his hands, “yeah...i know. i’m sorry, Chara...it’d just...been a really long time since i’d seen him..”

“How was the visit?” They inquire flatly, as they really couldn’t care less.

Sans gives a small smile and puts his hands in his pockets, “it was good. i feel..a lot better.”

“Do you now?”

He nods. “yeah.” 

“Interesting.”

“are you really surprised? i mean...i love him.”

“No, I'm more interested in the fact you are happy about seeing him again. You are just going to miss him more after all.”

Sans shrugs lightly, “live in the present.”

“So, what did you two talk about?”

“life. hypothetical scenarios. guard stuff.” Sans shifts his feet around, “...so...absolutely no disrespect meant of course but...are you gonna punish me or can i go? cause…” He gestures over his shoulder with his thumb, “i gotta lot of paperwork to do.”

“You seem awfully casual about those topics.” They observe.

“huh?”

“Did I stutter?”

“i mean i don't really know what-”

“I’m talking about your punishment and paperwork. You're being awfully casual about it.” They clarify, amused.

“oh. uhm….sorry?”

“No offence taken. I was merely observing.” They smirk.

Sans relaxes a little. “oh….so uhm. punishment now or later?”

They don’t respond, turning to their journal and making notes, still smirking.

“‘kay. i’ll be in the library then.” Sans says, turning and walking out. He pulls out his phone to respond to Papyrus’s message on his way down the hall. 

Their magic halts him at the door. “I don’t believe I have excused you.”

Sans pauses, rubbing at his arm and keeping his back turned, “sorry..” He apologizes. “may i be excused?”

There is silence for a few moments before they speak up again. “Darling, come here~”

Sans closes the door and turns around, approaching them.

They hold out their arms, smiling. “If you were feeling lonely all you had to do was ask~”

“...mhm.” Sans sighs quietly and steps forward into their arms, hugging them gently and resting his chin on their shoulder - something only possible when they’re sitting and he’s standing.

They rub his back, kissing his cheek. He sighs again and sits himself in their lap, rubbing at their arm and lightly kissing their neck. They give a pleased hum as they press him closer.

Although Sans really has no desire to be ‘the best’ at this part of his job, he knows that doing a less than satisfactory job leads to consequences - usually just him being stuck here longer. So he shifts to face them, bracing his knees on either side of their legs and kissing them, gently at first.

They moan softly into the kiss, and they increase the intensity. Sans gives a grunt, bracing his hands on their shoulders and squeezing rather than pushing away like he’d rather. “you..mmph..you wanna?” 

They chuckle. “Of course I do darling~” They say sweetly.

Sans nods, scooting off their lap and kneeling down on the floor.

They lift the skirt of their robe to accommodate  him. He lightly bites the inside of their thighs as he shifts in closer, forcing a soft moan and closing his eyes.

They moan softly back, squirming in their seat. Sans drags his tongue over their bare skin as his thumbs hook around the sides of their underwear, tugging down slowly.

Their breathing picks up as another moan escapes. Sans slips their underwear to their ankles and leans in closer, licking teasingly closer to their sex but not quite.

“Hhnn hhn..!” They pant “Teasing now huh?”

“just doin’ what i’ve been taught.” Sans says innocently, pushing their legs over his shoulders and tugging them closer, his breath falling between their open thighs, “you like that, right?”

“Hhh I do indeed.” They say with a smirk.

“good.” Sans murmurs, finally pressing his tongue against their sex with a gentle pressure and dragging it along slowly.

“Hnn, ahh~” They moan with no restraint.

Sans shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath before putting himself fully into his ‘job’, doing as best he can manage with his still limited knowledge. He listens to their moans, hoping they aren’t faking, and uses the sounds as a guide to figure out what works best. He doubts they’d be generous enough to give him a second lesson, anyway.

But judging from their loud moaning and occasional gasping he would guess that he’s doing good.

Their legs start twitching. “F-faster.” They moan out.

He goes slower.

“Ghhnn d-damnit!” They curse breathlessly, their hips bucking in protest.

Sans snorts, pulling back and standing up. He dusts off his hands, “welp, i think i’m done-”

Their magic forces him back to his knees. “Nice try darling.” They smirk.

He gives a chuckle, leaning back in and pushing his tongue against their sex, starting to lap at them rapidly.

“Hahhh nnah~” They moan, back arching.

He pushes them to the edge, and then pulls back again, “what's the magic word?”

They let out a frustrated noise. “Now.” They order.

Sans sighs and rolls his eyes, leaning back in and finishing them off in the most boring manner possible before standing up and wiping off his mouth. 

They pull up their underwear and adjusts the skirt of their robe. “My darling has improved.” They praise with a smirk.

Sans gives a shrug, “it's my job.”

“That it is darling.” They say pulling him in for another kiss.

He pushes his tongue through their lips and braces his hand on the side of their face.

Without warning, they pull away, grabbing the front of his shirt, and throwing him harshly to the floor. “You are such a slut.” They say, before turning back to their desk.

Sans picks himself up and dusts himself off, “i’ve got paperwork to do...”

They strike him hard across the face, knocking him back to the ground. “I don’t recall saying you could stand up, slut.” They sneer.

Sans sighs quietly. “can i get up on my knees, at least, your Majesty?”

“Just sit there and look pretty like the slut you are.” They reply with a smirk, turning back to their journal.

“ _ ‘dear diary, today i was very mean to my boyfriend…’” _

They turn to Sans, amused expression on their face. “After I let you pleasure me.” They say.

_ “‘after i let him pleasure me.’ _ ” Sans adds.

Chara rolls their eyes. “Anything else?”

_ “‘but then i said sorry and gave him the whole day off and he gave me a biiiiggg kiss _ .’”

Chara chuckles. “Come here.”

Sans gets up and approaches them again, “too sappy of an ending?”

They grab his chin tightly, reading his face. “Hmm.” They say simply.

“...want somea this?” He sticks out his tongue. 

“You are lucky I am in a good mood today.” They say with a smirk.

“i’d be in trouble otherwise?”

They nod. “Meet me in my room in 20 minutes since you clearly are wanting attention.” They muse.

Sans brushes his thumb over their chin, “really, is it that unacceptable for me to tease you? it doesn't make you any less in charge.”

They pull him into a quick kiss, before letting go of his chin. “20 minutes. And wear one of the dresses I got for you..” They order.

“..wait what.”

“Hanging in my closet.” They explain, shooting him a smirk before turning back to their desk.

“....okay.” Sans coughs into his fist and turns around, “i’ll...see you then.”

They chuckle. “Yes you will.”

 

Okay. Pink with black lace. Not bad. Worse things to wear.

Sans shifts his jaw and strips down, putting on the frilly nightmare and sitting down on the bed in Chara’s room.

Chara smirks as they enter. “Look at how adorable you look.” Chara says with a chuckle.

“maybe if i had a mirror.”

“There is one in the bathroom.” Chara says as they walk up to the bed.

“who's got the time though, right?” Sans sits back, swallowing subtly. 

“Hands above your head or behind your back.”

Sans shifts his arms behind his back, crossing his wrists. Chara’s magic secures his them together as they begin to undress. He watches, anxiety beginning to show. 

They crawl onto the bed, still smirking as they brace their hands on his knees, spreading his legs. He watches their hands, eyelights darting back and forth between them.

They rub his legs. “Something the matter?” They ask, still smirking.

“...is...is it gonna hurt this time?”

“Do you want it to?” They ask, hands slipping under the skirt of his dress.

“do i ever?” Sans asks, very conscious of where their hands are. 

“Masochism can be developed as a way to cope with constant pain.” Chara replies, kissing his cheek.

Sans gives a shudder and says nothing. They chuckle, teasing his pubis as they nip at his jaw and neck. He shivers and takes a deep breath before allowing a quiet moan. 

One hand slips up further, trailing fingers along his ribs. Gradually Sans brings himself to relax, panting quietly and shutting his eyes. 

Chara hums in amusement. “Enjoying yourself?”

“...y...yeah.”

They bite his shoulder painfully. “Don’t lie to me darling.” They scold as their hand trails along his sacrum.

“ _ ow _ ! hff..well  _ now  _ i’m not…”

They chuckle, licking at his neck as their hands continue to stimulate him. Sans squeezes his eyes shut, panting and arching his back. “gh...ha...m-more..”

“Such a needy little slut.” They coo.

His hips buck slightly as they circle his notch and he moans again, gasping, “a-ah…”

_ ‘it's okay. it's okay to enjoy it. it feels nice and you don't have a choice. you're doing this to keep them happy and to stay out of trouble, it's okay if it feels nice.’  _ Sans assures himself, pushing his hips up more.

They chuckle, and shift their position, laying next to him. “Come here little slut.” They say as they pull him against them.

Sans's face flushes as his hips push back against them, and he instinctively tries to stammer out an excuse. 

“It’s okay, keep going.” They say, grinding against him as well.

Sans bites his tongue and obeys, face flushing darker as he uses his fingers to inch up the back of the dress to expose his pelvis, and he allows himself to grind back against them. It's not very satisfying and he only finds himself growing more frustrated.

Chara’s amusement grows as his rutting gets more desperate.

“ghh..nnn...Ch..Chara...the...th-the r-rib- _ nnhh.. _ r-ribbons..” He groans, “p-please…”

“What about the ribbons darling?”

“t-tie th-them in ag-gain…!” Sans gasps. And he'd been so relieved to finally have them removed the other day...

“As you wish~” They say with a smirk, taking the ribbon out of their inventory.

Sans rolls onto his stomach, panting and drawing his knees in towards his head to push his sacrum up towards them. He squirms needfully, gasping quietly. 

They chuckle, licking along the ribbon before slowly threading it through the first hole. Sans struggles to hold still, fighting against the urge to try and grind against the mattress. 

Chara kisses the tail end of his sacrum, before threading the ribbon through another hole, just as teasingly slow. Sans moans, burying his face in the mattress and curling and uncurling his fists, “hnn...hha…”

Chara chuckles, and continues to weave the ribbon slowly through the rest of his sacrum. Sans moans shamelessly, yelping as they give the thread a testing tug. 

“Such a desperate little whore, squirming and drooling so easily.” They coo.

“mmmggh...a-ah...y-yes your M-Majesty...gnhhn..”

“What do you need hmm?” They ask, rubbing his thighs as they take a part of the ribbon in their teeth and pull.

Sans gives a loud, desperate moan, pushing his hips up higher, “i-i need to c-come!”

“Not yet.” They deny, trailing their tongue along his sacrum.

Sans whimpers, shutting his eyes tightly and gasping, “p-please..” He groans. 

They pull the string again with their teeth. “You can beg better than that~”

_ “ahn! _ Y-your Majesty p-please!” Sans yelps.

They chuckle. “You are so adorable when you squirm. Go ahead, come for me.” They say, pulling harder on the strings.

Sans arches his back and cries out loudly as they push him into climax, slumping limply against the mattress a few seconds later. 

Chara lays next to him once more, pressing his back to their chest. Sans gives a feeble groan, his arms aching.

They kiss his neck, and wrap their legs around his, hand toying with the hem of the dress. “Still needing attention?” They ask.

“mngh...i wasn't...trying to...ask for attention..” Sans pants. 

“Really now?” They ask, not believing a word.

“i j-just wanted to g-get to my d-damn paperwork..”

“This was better than paperwork wouldn’t you agree darling?”

“nngh...not as productive.” 

They laugh. “Since when has a lazy, good for nothing slob like you ever cared about productivity?”

“good for getting you off.” Sans snarks, “pretty good, even, with how quickly you came.”

They chuckle. “Like the good little slut you are.” They coo, turning him over to kiss his mouth.

“mph. or maybe just seeing me walk into your office got you hot?”

“Many things get me going.” They say with a smirk. 

“but  _ i’m _ the whore, hm?”

“Watch your mouth.” They say, smirk falling.

He sticks out his tongue. 

“As much as this newfound attitude is amusing...“ They bite his tongue  harshly.

Sans jolts and pulls back with a muttered swear, “what exactly would you prefer?”

“I shouldn’t tolerate any form of defiance. You seem to think you are above your place.”

“didn’t you want to know what kind of partner i’d make? that’s why you started trying to seduce me in the first place, isn’t it?”

“As an anomaly, your job is to be complacent and obedient. You are a pest I need to keep in check while simultaneously studying you.”

“i’m not being out of ‘check’ just because i’m not crying my eyes out every time you  call me names.”

“Smartassery and backtalk will get you nowhere.” They say flatly.

“then what do you want me to do when you call me a slut, Chara? honestly. just tell me.” 

They chuckle. “There is nothing you can do.”

“....okay?” Sans shakes his head and closes his eyes. “whatever, then.” 

They kiss his forehead. “It’s a start.” They say as they sit up.

“what is..?”

Chara just chuckles, and starts to get dressed.

“am i getting untied anytime soon?”

“Perhaps.” They say with a smirk before exiting the room and locking the door.

Sans sighs and rolls over to the most comfortable position he can find before closing his eyes and easily drifting off.

 

They return to the room a couple hours later. Sans is sitting up against the headboard, looking at the window contemplatively.

“Good evening.” Chara greets.

“hey.” Sans looks back at them after shaking himself out of his stupor. “evening, huh?”

“Indeed.” They say as they begin changing into their nightclothes.

“...can you please untie me now, your Majesty?”

“No.” They answer plainly.

Welp.

Sans sighs and goes back to watching the window. 

They lay down in the bed, and press his back to their chest. “You look bored.”

Sans hesitates, and then takes a deep breath and grinds back against them, “gonna...fix that for me?”

“Perhaps.” They say, their hand slipping under the dress.

Sans shuts his eyes, “...p...please. i...want you.” Ugh. 

They chuckle. “How disgusting.” They sneer as their fingers trail along his pubis.

He shudders, doing a bad job of faking arousal, “..please your Majesty.” He mumbles. 

“You don’t  _ sound _ very needy.” They say, hand raising to his ribs.

“....i just want to keep you happy, Chara.” There's a dangerous thickness in his voice.

“Oh, you poor idiot. Have you not realized?” They ask, grabbing tightly to his rib.

Sans cries out, curling up, “i-i’m n-not good enough i-i  _ know _ …”

“I am never 'happy’.” They say with a smirk.

Sans jolts and whimpers as they pull harder on his rib, “i-i’m s-sorry...p-please, i...i-i’m  _ sorry,  _ Chara…”

“I don’t feel ‘sad’ either.” They add.

“wh...wh-what do you feel wh-when you look at me?”

“I guess you would call it amusement? Though rather mild. You are hardly the most interesting in the Underground. Still, I want to sate my curiosity so here I am.”

Sans isn't sure how to respond to that, so he doesn't, focusing on keeping his breathing light to keep from straining the rib in their grasp. 

“I bet you thought you were special right?” They ask, digging their nails into his rib.

He obligingly gives a whimper. “i…”

“You have forgotten that your name is last in my journal. I will grow  _ bored _ of you. You will serve no  _ function _ any longer. You will be  _ irrelevant _ .”

Sans flinches at each harshly spat word, swallowing, “...i-i know..” 

“Pretend all you want,  _ darling _ . You mean absolutely nothing to me.”

Sans's shoulders slump and he stops squirming, his breath getting shakier.

“You are nothing but a toy to me. I have also had much better sex too. But you are still going to obey me, and deal with whatever I throw at you because I said so. And there is nothing you can do about it.” They sneer.

“...y-yes Chara.” Sans says, swallowing. “i...i-i’ll stop t-trying to pretend. i-i’m sorry.” 

“Pretend all you like, it won't change anything but prove just how pathetic you are.”

“..i..i-i’ll stop t-trying.” 

“Why? To make me 'happy?’”

“n-nothing i do ch-changes anything...th-there’s no p-point..”

“Precisely. So imagine just how much of a whore you sound like.”

Sans swallows and ducks his head, doing his best to not look at even the hands on his chest as he tries to pull the dress skirt back down. 

“Poor pathetic creature.” They muse with false pity.

“i-i’m sorry. i j...i j-just wanted to f-feel wanted i-i’m  _ sorry _ ..”

“You have never been wanted, or needed.”

Sans curls up even smaller in their grip. 

They chuckle. “Aww.” They coo. “That's not how you win against me~” They mock. “You’re disappointing your brother~”

Sans tenses. So they did listen. “i-i can't win.” 

“Of course not. Surely if your brother cared, he would know about your inability to be happy in hopeless situations.”

“wh-why are you...t-treating me like this? d-do you want me to fall down?”

“I just want to remind you of your place is all.” They say, kissing his cheek, before turning and going to sleep.

“...c-can you p-please untie me…”

“Good night darling~”

Sans takes that as a ‘no’ and muffles a sigh, the crocodile tears drying up as he gives a scowl at the wall. This human is really trying his patience.

At least their attention is off of him for now. That acting game was getting nauseating.

He makes double sure that his face is hidden from the cameras before rolling his eyes and shifting onto his stomach to take the pressure off of his sore arms. 

 

His arms are untied when he wakes up the next morning, and Chara not to be seen. He doesn't hesitate to get up, stripping out of the dress and putting back on his normal clothes. His shift doesn't start for another three hours but he'll get going anyway.

Sans rubs his sore arms and winces - he’ll grab some breakfast on the way.

He peeks out the bedroom door, looking left and right for Chara before hurrying down the hall. He makes a stop by his room to grab his phone, unlocking it with the 12-digit password.

**my cool bro:** _ SANS?! YOU HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO ANY OF MY TEXTS ARE YOU OK?! _

**Me:** _ yeah sorry paps i nodded off. howre u? _

**my cool bro:** _ EXCELLENT AS ALWAYS! ARE YOU REALLY AWAKE AT 6AM?! _

**Me:** _ yup. where's my medal. _

**my cool bro:** _ IT'S A BIG HUG! COME AND GET IT! I'M IN THE KITCHEN!  _

**Me:** _ omw ;) _

Sans smiles and starts jogging down the halls, making his way to the kitchen. 

“Someone is in a hurry to get somewhere.” Chara says, stepping into his path.

Sans falls back on his heels to avoid running smack into them. His eyelights dart back and forth to assess how many witnesses are around.

Just a few passers by.

Chara bends over, holding out their hand and smiling pleasantly. “What's got you in such a good mood?”

Sans takes it and gives it a light kiss, “just heading to the kitchen for breakfast. wanna join me?” He asks smoothly. 

“I would love to.” They say, holding his hand gently. “Lead the way~”

He smiles at them and puts his free hand in his pocket, steering them towards the kitchen.

They hear Papyrus before they can see him. Sans chuckles quietly and pulls up his t-shirt to shield his mouth and nasal cavity before entering the kitchen.

To his and Chara's surprise, there's no smoke clouds. But there is a small bat monster standing by Papyrus, twitching its ears constantly and sniffing the air before giving the occasional suggestion to the excited skeleton. 

“Good morning Papyrus and Perry.” Chara greets.

The blind creature tilts their ears forward, “Your Majesty.” They greet in return.

“HELLO YOUR MAJESTY! SANS! I’M MAKING BREAKFAST!”

“It resembles pancakes.” Perry assures. “It shouldn’t kill you.”

Chara chuckles. “That’s good to hear. Papyrus, you have the day off?” They ask lightly.

“MY SHIFT DOESN’T START UNTIL 8AM YOUR MAJESTY!” Papyrus informs cheerfully, “I’VE BEEN GETTING COOKING LESSONS FROM PERRY EVERY MORNING!”

“I see. Well, I must congratulate you on your improvement! You continue to prove yourself capable.” They praise.

Papyrus beams at their words, carefully moving the cakes from the pan to the plate. “I HOPE YOU’RE HUNGRY!”

“Very hungry.” Perry adds. “He made fifty.”

“don’t worry. we’ll take the ‘cakes’.”

“UGH. THAT WASN’T EVEN CRINGE WORTHY, SANS!” Papyrus scolds, handing the Prinx a tall stack of breakfast as Perry feels their way to the fridge and fetches some syrup.

“I couldn’t possibly eat this much.” Chara giggles. “But I appreciate the thought.”

“the Prinx prefers to  _ watch _ .” Sans chuckles, rubbing his hands together and wincing slightly at the soreness in his arms as his own plate is set down. “smells great, Paps. and what’d you say your name was, flaps?”

“Perry.”

“not a bad job teaching, Perry.” Sans says casually, but he feels incredible respect for the monster that’s managed to get Papyrus to cook something edible.

Chara sets their plate on the counter. “I will just have three please.” They ask politely.

“We’ll get your leftovers taken away for the rest of the entire castle staff, your Majesty.” Perry says, “Same goes for you, Sans.”

Sans gives up a thumbs up, already halfway through his stack.

“Papyrus, these pancakes are amazing!” Chara enthuses.

Sans mumbles more compliments through his full mouth, grinning at his brother.

Papyrus bounces in place, “I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT! YOU’RE THE FIRST TO TASTE MY COOKING BESIDES PERRY!”

Sans jokingly feels for a pulse in his wrist, making sure Papyrus can’t see the gesture.

Chara chuckles. “Well Papyrus, I guess you can say that your pancakes are royal approved.”

“EXCELLENT! YOU AND SANS SHOULD COME BY EVERY MORNING!” Papyrus invites excitedly, “IT’LL BE WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU BOTH MORE OFTEN!”

“I shall plan on it!” Chara accepts. “Should my schedule allow that is.”

Sans sits back from his plate and gives a small burp into his fist, patting his stomach, “that was  _ amazing _ , Paps.”

“I’M SO HAPPY YOU LIKED IT!” Papyrus hugs Sans tightly from behind, lifting him up from his chair, “I CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO TRY ALL THE NEW MEALS I’VE BEEN LEARNING!”

“Papyrus, how would you like to hang out with us tonight?” Chara asks.

Sans’s eye twitches.

“I WOULD LOVE TO! WHAT ARE WE DOING?”

“Sans and I will be heading to one of my favorite places to relax and unwind. I know how little you see of him, and I know he would love to have you with us for the night as well.”

“...sure would….” Sans says uncomfortably.

“What time do you get off patrol?” Chara asks.

“SIX IN THE EVENING, YOUR MAJESTY!”

“Perfect! Meet us at the front castle doors at 8:00!” They say with a grin.

“I WILL YOUR MAJESTY! SEE YOU THEN, SANS!” Papyrus says as the small skeleton is set down.

“yep. thanks for breakfast Papyrus.” Sans moves out of the kitchen and heads for the courtroom.

“See you tonight!” Chara says as they leave too, smirking.


	19. Playing Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara's not all bad.

Sans takes his paperwork to the library as usual, working silently at his table. What the hell is going on? What are they going to do? Why can’t Papyrus be left out of this?

He finds himself unable to focus with every thought as to everything that can happen tonight.

Eventually he picks up his phone.

**Me:** wat r u going 2 do?

**chara:** I assume you are talking about tonight?

**Me:** yes

**chara:** Depends

**Me:** wat do u want me 2 do

**chara:** You were in a surprisingly good mood this morning

**Me:** i have 2 pretend dont i? no1 is supposed 2 know im unhappy

**chara:**  Don’t bullshit me Sans.

**Me:** ?! wat am i doin wrong?? last person 2 get worried about me started falling!

**chara:** I know the difference between a fake smile and a real one. If you think for a minute I am going to tolerate you and your brother working against me…

**Me:** chara i swear on my SOUL he thinks ur a goddamn angel he doesnt know anything

**chara:** You better hope so ;)

**Me:** pls dont hurt him

No further response.

Sans gets up from his table and immediately starts searching for the Prinx. They are wandering the hall, en route to their office when he catches up to them.

He grabs them by their sleeve. “can we talk.” He asks, voice raw as though he’s been crying.

They read his face curiously. “Perhaps. What about?”

Sans glances around for any passers-by. “in private. please.”

“Fine. My office.”

Sans nods, following after them quickly as they make their way there.

The door shuts behind them as they both enter and Sans drops to his knees. “please don’t hurt my brother. please.” 

“And why shouldn’t I?”

“i d-don’t unders-stand what i did w-wrong this time!”

“Pity.”

Sans puts his face to the ground, giving a sob, “p-please, Chara, p-please!”

“Fine. I won't hurt him. Anything else you need?”

That was shockingly easy. Suspiciously so.

Sans slowly pushes himself back to his knees, keeping his head down, “...am...a-am i...n-not supposed to be happy? e-ever? b..b-because i’m trying to be happy...i-i don’t have the best...s-situation right now b-but i’m trying to be happy a-anywya...d..do you not w-want that?”

They stare at him as he speaks. “Hmm.” Is their only response.

“..b..b-because i-if i’m...n-not that important th-then...s-so long as i’m not...n-not disrespecting you i-it’s okay for me to be happy, isn’t it? i-i’m not breaking any rules. i c-come when you call a-and i don’t use my magic a-and i don’t leave the castle w-without asking that’s...th-that’s good, right? s-so long as i work my shifts a-and do what i’m told i-it’s okay, isn’t it?” He sounds desperate.

“I suppose.” They agree. “Any other requests?”

Sans shakes his head, getting to his feet, “n...n-no. no, Chara, th..th-thank you. a-are we still meeting up o-or should i tell Papyrus to cancel?”

“We are still meeting up. We would hate to disappoint him after all.”

“okay...wh..wh-what are we gonna do?”

“Go to a bar somewhere is the Capital.” They reply.

“okay.” Sans wipes away imaginary tears from his eyes, “a-am i excused?”

“Yes you are.” They say, waving him off.

Sans nods and makes a quick exit, pulling up his hood to hide his scowl. This fucking human…

Sans takes in a deep breath as he calms himself. No. They're not worth getting worked up over. Playing the scared crybaby in their presence is annoying, but it's nothing he can't deal with.

He picks up his pace and makes his way to the library, feeling a stirring in his SOUL. He's got paperwork to do. 

And after that's done, he's got some more self-appointed tasks to get done. 

 

Kennie is tending to one of the kitchen staff when Sans walks in. She finishes wrapping up the burn wound. “There you go. Be more careful next time alright?” She advises with a forced smile, sending the monster on his way.

Sans clears his throat.

“Hello Sans.” She greets.

“hey Ken. just the cat i was looking for. i’ve got something for your mom but i didn't know if i should duck in to visit her without permission.” Sans holds up a small gift bag. 

Kennie smiles a bit more genuinely. “Come on in, she will appreciate the company.” The feline says, leading Sans to the back room.

“i’ve got an hour still before my shift starts. does she have any favorite books or anything?”

“She likes Sinye’s works.” Kennie says, opening the door and ushering him inside.

Sans nods at her, ducking into the room and approaching the elder cat on the bed. “hey Siri. look what the cat dragged in.”

Kennie leaves the room as Sirona slowly turns to him. She looks thinner, more frail. “....Sans...” She says, voice quiet.

Sans smiles and plops down on the chair next to her beside, “hey.” He says gently, pulling out a purple candle from the gift bag and setting it on her dresser. “got you a little somethin’. enchanted candle. supposed to keep the bad thoughts away for a bit.” Luckily tiny amounts of fire magic don't take much, and he lights the candle even with the amulet on. 

She gives a weak smile. “Thank you.” She whispers. “I’m s-sorry I c-can’t help y-you...”

“hey. Siri. lookit me. i’m fine.” He holds up his hands. “i’m small but i’m no babybones, alright? i can handle myself. just cause the Prinx likes it rough sometimes doesn't mean my life is over, okay?”

Her breath hitches, and she nods weakly. “I-I’m s-still sorry..”

“hey. none of that, huh?” Sans glances over his shoulder and then moves closer to her, resting his head on her shoulder and reluctantly giving a few purrs.

She looks at him in surprise, before purring weakly herself. Sans smiles a little, letting this go on a few minutes before pulling back and scanning her small bookshelf. “i’ve got a bit before my next shift starts, so how about some reading?”

“Y-you don’t h-have to-”

“i’m doing this cause i care about you, Siri. and you're gonna get better. ok?” 

Her smile grows a bit and she nods. “Stubborn.” She teases.

“as a mule.” Sans agrees, picking out a book by Sinye, “and so are you, which is why you're gonna get better.” He sits down again, “Sinye, huh? Lemme guess. Dirty poetry?”

Sirona rolls her eyes.

“hey with the word ‘Sin’ in the title you can't say it's a bad guess.” He flips open the cover, “and it  _ is  _ poetry.”

“Sinye is the a-author.” She corrects with a soft laugh.

“‘Sin. Yeeee.’ prreeettyy suspicious.”

“Sin-yay.” Sirona corrects again, giving a small chuckle.

Sans laughs. “‘Sin: yay! a series of innocent poems.’”

“Now now.” She chastises lightly, as her laugh grows a bit stronger.

Sans grins and clears his throat, “alright alright. here we go…”

 

“ _ The sun does rise and set _

_ The dove’s wings flap as it flies _

_ On the surface I hope to see my love, _

_ Without having to say goodbye. _

 

_ The tides roll forward and fall. _

_ The stars guide the way. _

_ I hold my love in my arms. _

_ And whisper to her: we won’t stay _ .” Sans checks his phone as his 8:50am alarm goes off. “shoot. i gotta get going, Siri.” 

“Thank y-you Sans.” She says, smiling.

He puts the book down and scratches her head, “notta problem. you'd better be looking healthier next time i see you.” He scolds gently. “no grandma should be that skinny.”

“Who are you callin’ a grandma?” She protests jokingly.

Sans grins, “someone who knows something you don't, obviously.” He chuckles and turns around on his heel, “wwwelp, bye seeya later.”

She waves back at him weakly as he leaves, purring softly.

 

Sans takes a deep breath before entering the castle courtroom, making himself as inconspicuous as possible and hurrying over to the usual person. He just wants to pick up his work and retreat to the library. No 202. No having to fake any more weepy scaredness. Just boring work.

He feels eyes on him and he glances to see Chara watching him closely. He does his best to pretend like he doesn't notice, accepting his work and going to his assigned desk rather than the library, to avoid getting accused of running away from them. 

After a few minutes they go back to whatever they were doing, and Sans relaxes with a soft ‘pfhew’, allowing himself to get absorbed in his work. 

 

8:00 arrives all too soon. Chara, dressed a bit more casual, waits at the door for Papyrus, Sans holding their hand.

He shows up dressed in his ‘COOL CLOTHES’, and Sans has to hold back a snort, “hey Paps. you look great.” 

“Ready to be off?” Chara asks, smiling.

“YES!” Papyrus grins wider and strikes a pose, cackling a little, “WHERE ARE WE GOING?”

“Just a small bar I go to frequently. Nobody should bother us too much there. It is also nearby.” They explain as they lead the way.

“AND YOU AND MY BROTHER DATE HERE OFTEN?”

“On occasion.”

“I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR DATING SKILLS, YOUR MAJESTY!”

They chuckle. “Why thank you.”

“I'LL BE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY BUT NO PRESSURE!”

Chara winks. “None at all. How about you Sans?” They ask as they kiss his cheek.

“i’m just hoping to pass.”

“Of course you will darling, your brother will agree.”

“i might get a C+.” Sans says.

“NOW NOW SANS! YOUR HUMILITY ALREADY HAS YOU IN A GOOD POSITION!” Papyrus assures cheerfully.

“Most assuredly.” Chara giggles as they approach the bar. “Let’s have some fun now hmm?”

 

It was weird. Because they did, actually, have fun. Not just Papyrus and Chara, but Sans as well. He tried to keep his guard up without looking too tense, but eventually Papyrus’s overly excited aura and ‘date point’ games won Sans over. If Chara did decide to pull something, it’s not like Sans would even be able to do anything about it. So dammit, he decided, he’d enjoy himself while he could.

And even though Sans knows more than well that Chara is a demon, they manage to play the part of perfect datefriend for the entirety of the evening. He isn’t fully convinced, but it’s good enough that he can pretend along with them for a good number of hours.

Sans is almost completely worn out by the time the bar announces closing, exhausted from laughing, and Papyrus happily carries him on his back on the way back to the castle. Sans grins and tries to contain his chuckling at the light-hearted conversation still continuing all the way up to the castle courtroom.

“Well, Papyrus, it has been a very enjoyable evening. But I’m afraid your brother and I must retire.” Chara tells Papyrus, their formal tone returning as they hold their arms out for the small skeleton.

Papyrus nods and easily places his brother back in their care, “OF COURSE! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING ME ALONG! YOU BOTH GET 100%! NEARLY THE HAPPIEST COUPLE I’VE EVER SEEN!”

Chara giggles. “And you were 110% on the companion meter.” They praise. “But, I expected no less from the Great Papyrus.”

“NYEHEHEH! OF COURSE! CONTINUE TO TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF MY BROTHER, YOUR MAJESTY! GOODNIGHT!” Papyrus gives a hearty wave and then trots off to his room.

Chara chuckles, stumbling slightly. “I’m glad I stopped drinking when I did, I feel a bit tipsy.”

“‘m glad i didn’t drink at all.” Sans slurs, “..’cept like that one...beer...it was a beer right?”

“A beer, two shots of whisky.... Something else I don’t know the name of.” Chara lists with a laugh.

“...ssshhhhhhhhhhhit.” Sans groans. “n’wonder i’been finding all y’ur jokess’funny.”

“Hey now! I’m not  _ that _ bad.” Chara protests as they reach the castle.

“‘s so bad ‘s _ good _ .”

“Damn right.” They chuckle.

Sans gives a long yawn, eyes half-closing, “..’m fuckin’ tired, Chara..” He whines.

“We’re al-almost to my room.” They say, turning a corner and narrowly missing checking the wall with their shoulder.

“shhhit...w’the way you’re walkin’ we’re closer t’a _ morgue _ ..”

“Now you’re just embellishing the facts.” They scold lightly as they walk up to the door. “Can you stand?” They ask.

“uhmmmm...yeah? maybe. guess’ll see?”

They set him on his feet, and let go of him to open the door. He sways dangerously and staggers, but he braces his hand on the wall and stays upright.

“Do monsters even have morgues?” They question, trying to pick him up again.

“i’unno. ‘s a human thing tho, ‘snt it?”

“Humans don’t turn to dust when they die. Gotta keep the bodies somewhere I suppose.” They say, laying him on the bed and closing the door.

“i  _ knooww _ that...i’s seen y’die ‘fore. like…’fore you RESET…”

“How interesting.” They note as they fall onto their bed.

Sans gives an ‘oof’ as they hit the mattress, grunting as a majority of their body falls over him, “you’re  _ heavyyy _ ..” He groans.

“Not that heavy.” They protest, rolling off him.

He gasps in breaths in an exaggerated manner.

“I’m  _ not _ .” They insist.

“ahhh m’ribs r’all crusheedd…”

“Bull shit. You just want me to take off your shirt.”

“fptfttfahaha what.”

“I didn’t realize I said a joke.” They huff.

“‘m not tryina get you t’undress me, pft. i hate it whenya do that.”

“You like undressing yourself?”

“ _ nooo _ . i like m’clothes. on. ‘pecially.”

“You can’t fuck with clothes on.” Chara murmurs, settling into the bed as their eyes start drooping.

Sans squirms over to them, resting his head on top of their chest. “...i hada good time.” He murmurs. “y’were real nice t’my bro.”

“Not that hard. He isn’t very confident with himself. Say all th’ right things-” They are interrupted by a yawn as they wrap their arms around Sans.

He closes his eyes, staying relaxed in their embrace for once. “..an’ y’were nice t’ _ me _ …”

“So? Also not hard. There were people too.” Their words slur slightly as they begin to drift off.

“...wish y’could be that way…” Sans gives a long yawn, resting his cheek against their chest and closing his eyes. “...all’a time…” He sighs heavily and starts purring.

“bor’ng.”

“‘s nice…” Sans murmurs before drifting off, still purring loudly in his sleep. 

 

Chara groans as they come to with a mild headache. “I hate being a fucking lightweight.” They murmur as they go to raise their hand to their head, to find its path obstructed by Sans.

He's sleeping peacefully on their chest, one arm partially hugging their torso. He's still purring, although more quietly.

They sigh, nudging him gently. He stirs slowly, stretching out and giving a long sigh of his own. “hm?”

“Good morning Sans.” They say in amusement.

Sans opens one eye, staring at them silently. He knows he should probably be cowering or whatever but he feels a little tired still. “...good morning your Majesty.”

“How is your hangover?”

“don't really get those as bad as you fleshy folk. plus magic booze isn't all too poisonous.”

“Fleshy folk?” They tease. “Some monsters have flesh.”

“which is why i didn't say ‘you humans’.”

They roll their eyes.

Sans slowly sits up, grabbing his cell and checking the time. “shit. it's 9:30.”

“Slept in and I still feel fuckin tired.” Chara groans, rubbing their face with their hands.

“i’m late…” Sans murmurs, quickly firing off an apology/explanation text to his brother, “of course Paps was still up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast.”

“He wasn’t drunk enough.” Chara says with an amused huff.

“it'd take all the alcohol in the Underground to get him wasted.” Sans muses, sitting up and trying to pull himself into some semblance of order.

“Rude is what it is. I challenged him once.” Chara murmurs.

“to a drinking contest?” Sans asks incredulously. 

“It took a lot of convincing.”

“were RESETS  _ enough _ to save your liver?”

“I doubt it.” They chuckle.

“it's really a miracle you're still alive.” Sans muses, yawning and pouting a little as Papyrus starts sending pictures of the breakfast he made. “well crap..now i’m hungry.”

“I can get food delivered here. Hangover has gotten me too tired to get up.” They say as they take out their phone. “Anything you want?”

Sans half-processes their requests, “not picky.” He says, still hammering out responses to Papyrus. 

They punch in the food order quickly, setting the phone on the end table. “What did your brother make this morning?”

“bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns.”

“Mmm, and here I just ordered pancakes.” They muse, laying back against their pillow.

“the error of your ways.” Sans sighs, pocketing his phone, “well i guess i’ll get going.”

“So soon? We have all day.” Chara smirks.

Sans hesitates at the door, “...guess my shift is already started, so uh...you get to pick what i do…”

“Well, first of all I ordered breakfast for the both of us, second, it will take them about 30 minutes, which is perfect timing for some morning sex.” They say with a chuckle.

Sans breathes out slowly, “...is that the cure for a hangover?”

They shrug. “I don’t get drunk often enough to tell you.”

Sans hugs his jacket a little tighter around himself. “...right.”

“Leave if you want. I'm not all that interested in leaving my bed right now.”

“...it's just. we had such a...a good time last night, i don't wanna…” Sans sighs through his teeth.

“Don’t want to what?”

“...” Sans rubs at the back of his head. “...don't wanna ruin the fantasy.”

“Why would it ruin it?”

“...dunno if you know this, Chara, but you’re not exactly the best at pillow talk?” His voice is strained.

They chuckle. “Just because I haven't done it with you doesn’t mean I don’t know how.” They say with a smirk.

“i mean...it’s hard to enjoy myself when you always….turn it around on me...y’know?”

“Do you want to top darling?” They ask.

“that’s not what i mean, Chara.”

“What do you mean then?”

“i try to be good and enjoy myself during sex and...and you immediately call me a slut for it. if i’m not good enough you launch into a speech about how worthless i am, and...honestly it’s...kind’ve a mood killer.”

“Very well. I will refrain from that today then.”

“...you  _ promise _ ?” Sans asks, turning around and looking at them.

They nod. “I promise darling.”

Sans shifts in place, “...how long do we have until the food gets here?”

“25 minutes.” Chara says with a smirk.

“that enough?” Sans wonders with a murmur, hesitantly stepping towards them.

“If it’s not i can just keep the door locked.” Chara muses, sitting up.

He nods, pausing at the foot of the bed and shifting in place.

“Well darling?” They ask as they pull off their top, smirking.

Sans habitually gets down on his knees, but Chara holds out their arms towards him. He stares up at them. “...are you not gonna…?” He gestures at their lower body.

“You don’t want to do that part yourself?”

“...r-right.” Sans sits up taller on his knees, gripping the hem of their skirt and tugging down.

They lift their hips to make it easier for him. They gently pull on the hem on his shirt. He stiffens wherever their touch goes, bones drawing away from them and closer to his body as he pushes his head in between their legs and laps at the bare skin of their thighs, eyelights switching back and forth as he tries to keep an eye on their hands.

“Hnn nng d-doing good d-darling~” They praise as their arousal grows.n

“...you don’t have to fake.” Sans mumbles. He hasn’t even taken off their underwear yet.

They chuckle. “Apologies.”

Sans just mumbles something incoherent and laps at them through their underwear. He’s had to learn how to please both sex organs, as sometimes Chara will have one and sometimes another. Obviously one is magic but so far he hasn’t really been able to tell the difference. This time it’s the one he’s more experienced with. Not that he knows the name. But he sure as hell isn’t going to admit that to Chara. They’d never stop laughing.

After giving a few light bites to their thighs, he pulls down their underwear and starts licking at their sex. It’s already wet, weirdly.

Their legs twitch as their breathing picks up. “D-doing good darling.” They say.

Sans wants to believe they’re faking, but...their body is tensing and shivering with genuine arousal. Even Chara can’t pretend this good.

He still stays cautious as he laps faster at their request, gripping their thighs.

They grasp at the pillow holding their head as they convulse slightly. “Hnng~”

Sans chokes a little as their legs wrap around him and pull him closer, pulling back for a second to breathe before leaning back in and pushing his tongue inside them. They let out another soft moan and squirm slightly.

He rubs circles in their skin with his thumbs, using the motion more to distract himself than to further stimulate them, and forces out a weak moan himself, even though he feels more like gagging. 

“M-more~” They gasp, feeling the tension in their gut start to build.

Sans obliges, but numbly.

“A-ah...S-Sans, p-please…”

He starts a little at their tone, pausing and looking up.

They groan. “Ghnnn~ n-no~ please don't stop~” They beg.

“..s..s-sorry.” Sans swallows and moves back in, lapping rapidly.

Their moans get louder the closer they get to climax. “Ahh...S-Sans…”

The skeleton gives a shiver at their desperate tone, feeling his own body getting warm, his SOUL especially, as he listens to them beg for him. He slows slightly, not fully intentionally - he just needs to hear their pleads for a bit longer.

“Ahhn p-please Sans~”

He gives another violent shiver, and his SOUL starts glowing brightly enough to be seen through his shirt and jacket as he laps faster, a quiet but genuine moan escaping him.

They cry out as they come, jerking in place. Sans pulls back with a gasp, coughing and grabbing the bed sheet to wipe off his face. His SOUL feels incredibly warm.

They take a moment to catch their breath before sitting up fully and looking at him with a smirk. “Your turn darling~ come here~” They coo.

Sans is a little dazed still, and he stiffens up, but Chara leans forward and picks him up under the arms like the child sized monster he is, easily putting him in their lap. His face is flushed blue and he can’t seem to find words, instead settling for covering the glowing in his chest modestly.

They kiss his neck gently. “You did really well darling~” They praise as they lick from the base of his neck to his chin.

Sans bites his tongue and shivers, drawing in his shoulders. It feels like his mind is locking up and his body is taking over. His SOUL, even, is rebelling against him.

They tug his shirt off, and starts trailing their fingers over his rib bones as they pepper kisses onto his shoulder. Sans gives another shiver and a weak moan as they tend to him delicately, still fruitlessly trying to cover his SOUL, although with him now mostly undressed they can see it perfectly well. His SOUL hasn’t really glowed since…

Well, it’s been a while.

Their hands slip down to his hips, and they gently nip at his neck.

“m-mnnh..” Sans shuts his eyes tightly, feeling incredibly small but that  _ warmth _ just won’t go away and he wants more.  _ Needs _ more. But he can’t bring himself to beg like Chara. They’ll just...just call him a sorry slut and mock him and tell him how worthless he is...

“You make the most adorable noises darling~” They purr as they pull down his shorts and trailing their fingers slowly and gently along his pubis.

Ironically, that’s not really where he feels the warmest. It’s in his chest. The tension in his shoulders slowly leaves and he gradually leans his head against their chest, panting quietly.

_ ‘...i..i want them to touch my SOUL…’ _

His eyes suddenly widen at the self-realization and he gives a gasp, not sure if horrified or just shocked. Chara chuckles, misunderstanding his gasp as they continue.

Sans bites his knuckles, watching their face and starting to get an actual headache as a fierce inner battle over whether or not to ask them starts. His SOUL flickers in agitation at his internal screaming.

“Yes darling? What do you need~?” They ask, smirking, when they notice his stare.

“...ha you couldn’t...it’s all...fucking...fake, right? so...it’d just...you’d just make it  _ worse _ ..”

“Shhhh, darling let’s not upset yourself~”

“...i...i want to believe but that’s so...fucking dangerous...my own goddamn SOUL doesn’t know what’s good for it…”

“Your soul?”

“...you’re my…” Sans shifts his jaw and looks away from them. “...soulmate. you  _ know  _ that, right?” He mutters.

“Soulmate?” They ask, pausing and looking a mix of surprised and curious. “My soul never touched yours.”

“you raped my SOUL. that has two repercussions. one, i’m Fractured and you’re my Breaker. but now my SOUL also thinks you’re my…” Sans sighs and shifts his jaw, “..it thinks you’re my soulmate. and physically, you are. there’s traces of your magic in my SOUL now. and it’ll stay that way. for forever.” 

“Fascinating...” They murmur, pondering for a moment.

“it makes being around you……..really confusing.” He mumbles.

They chuckle. “I’d imagine.”

“i know i can’t trust you but at the same time my SOUL is screamin’ at me that i’ve already trusted you with the entirety of my being even though i  _ haven’t _ ...ugh.” 

“If I give your soul pleasureable, good intentions, it will do the opposite of hurt.” They purr.

“...you really expect me to trust you with it again? a-and...and who the hell knows what might happen to the bond if i let you...do that again. it might get stronger.”

“Or your Fracture might get smaller.” Chara hums.

Sans stiffens at the thought, eyelights widening, “..what.”

“It has happened before~”

“...it has?”

“You know how many times I’ve done this?” Chara strokes his sternum, not reaching for his SOUL but being sure to keep the glow from fading. “I’ve Fractured SOULs and healed them plenty of times.” But never like this. They’d never experimented with soulmating before - not in using it to heal a Fracture, at any rate. But that was what made it exciting. This would be the first time they’d made a monster willingly orgasm via SOUL  _ after  _ SOUL raping them. They can’t help but wonder what will happen.

“...wh-why didn’t you offer this before?”

“Didn’t think it necessary at the time. Nevermind about all that now, shall we continue?”

Sans grips their wrist tightly when they start to reach into his chest. “what about yours.”

“What about mine?”

“....” Sans shifts his jaw. No way would they agree to let him be  _ their  _ soulmate. He doesn’t even want to, of course. Though his idiotic SOUL seems to think otherwise. But. “...let me see it.”

“Why?”

“..it’s not even close to fair, but it’s closer, right?”

“What do you plan to do?”

“i just wanna see it.”

“...”

“i won’t touch it, Chara.”

They sigh, and pull out their soul, holding it out in front of them. Sans’s eyelights widen and he starts reaching forward, as if on instinct, before stopping himself. “..sorry, i...i won’t.” He repeats, curling his fist back against his chest and continuing to stare.

It’s such a bright red…

...stars, it’s…

...it’s so  _ beautiful _ ...

“Never seen a human soul before?” They ask, amused.

“where would i have?” 

They shrug.

His fingers twitch, as though he’s having to fight to keep from reaching for it. “..stars.” He eventually gets out. “...i...stars.  _ fuck _ . how do you...”

“How do I what?”

“..hold that much power inside of you…” Sans marvels. “...i mean...i  _ know  _ how...i’ve studied it. extensively. but...i dunno, knowing the...the equations and diagrams is one thing  but seeing it...just...sensing the amount of DETERMINATION…….for myself..” He blinks slowly, shaking his head but not taking his eyes off of the red heart. “...i can’t even comprehend…”

As he stares he starts to notice a crack as thin as a hair, zigzagged down the middle. The almost dazed fascination in his gaze fades and he sits up. “..wait..what’s...”

“Is something wrong?” They ask.

He reaches forward again, barely keep from touching, and points to the hairline Fracture. “..what’s this?”

Chara looks at it, before quickly returning the soul to their chest. “Nothing you need to worry about.” They deflect.

“...that was a Fracture.”

“An old, mostly healed one.  Don’t worry about it.”

“who would’ve done that to you?  _ could’ve _ ? you’re the most powerful being in the Underg….” His eyes widen. “.....oh.”

They roll their eyes. “I take it you are not going to let this go?”

“...” Sans glances away. “...we’ve got about fifteen minutes before breakfast is supposed to get here.” Against his better judgment, he holds his hand in front of his chest and draws out his glowing SOUL. “...just….get on with it.” He shifts his jaw, feeling nervous sweat forming on his brow. “...please.”

They nod, gently taking his soul in their hands, closing their eyes to focus on positive intentions. Sans shuts his eyes tightly as well, gripping their arm and letting out a sharp breath as he buries his face in their chest.

They start rubbing gently, being mindful of his Fracture. They find themselves fighting against a lot of fear and second thoughts, which they fight back determinedly but not without effort.

“...i-it’ll fix it, right? th-that’s what you said. i-it’ll fix it.” Sans wheezes.

“May.” They correct.

“you didn’t l-lie, right?” Sans’s voice sounds...uncharacteristically weak. He’s sounded weak before but that was...fear. Sadness. Tiredness. This is desperation. “y-you’ve already t-told so many y-you wouldn’t do it again, r-right?” 

“Not for today.” They reassure.

“...i-i...don’t…….d-don’t hurt...just..” Sans grips their arm tighter. “...be gentle. f-for once j-just be gentle. please.” 

They send reassurance into his soul as they nod.

He relaxes almost immediately, eyes partially opening. “...don’t...don’t make me regret it...okay?” 

They gently kiss his soul. Sans shivers and presses his legs together, eyes fluttering. “m-mph…” So warm. It’s so...it’s so nice...

They stroke his soul gently as they kiss it again. They have always appreciated the feel of a soul in their hands. Sans’s is especially…

...well they’re not sure. But it’s different. Back in the dungeon they’d rushed through the process, really. They’d been impatient. They’d wanted results more than they’d wanted to appreciate the procedure. Now they have time.

Twelve minutes, anyway.

Sans starts squirming slightly, panting and watching their hand as it gently massages his SOUL. He’s never felt tranquility like this. At least, not for a very, very long time. He’s not worried about what might happen, or remembering what did. He’s not triple checking his actions or words. He’s just letting them soothe him. And it’s working. Stars, it’s  _ working _ and he needs more so badly. “p..please..” 

“Enjoy yourself darling~” They coo, feeling a slight jealousy in their own soul. It has been so long since their own soul was handled as such. 

They focus back on Sans’s soul. No need to upset themselves while his soul is in their hands.

“...i-i am. i…” Sans gives a weak laugh, “..i-i don’t want it to stop..” 

They chuckle, and lick the side of the soul.

“a-ah!” Sans gasps, sitting up a little as his back arches. He covers his mouth, a powerful shiver going through him. “m-mph…” 

They continue licking it, smirking.

“n-nh…” Sans’s leg twitches and he wraps his other arm around his middle, breathing getting shallower. “..gh…” So warm. So safe. “m..m-more. p-please, Chara, m...m-more.”

They oblige, taking a bit of the soul into their mouth and sucking gently. Sans yelps and curls over his middle, whimpering into his hand. So warm. 

_ they love me. i’m loved. i’m wanted. _

“Ch-Chara…”

“Come for me darling~” They murmur.

“n-no.”

“Why not?”

“i-i don’t want i-it to s-stop. i don’t w-want this to g-go away. i...i-i’m s-safe like this. i don’t...i’m not...scared...a-anymore...like this...please..”

“What about breakfast?” They ask.

“...j-just a bit longer?” Sans tries to bargain.

“Very well.”

He nestles his head against their shoulder as they lean back against the headboard, gently rubbing his SOUL with their fingers. He shivers occasionally, shifting his legs back and forth and panting, but clinging to the edge for as long as possible. Eventually it starts to hurt, and Chara can sense it.

They quickly bring it to their mouth again with the intent to send him over the edge. He tenses and then writhes in place on their lap restlessly, gasping, “Ch-Chara-!” Before he can come close to even beginning whatever plea he might think to make he climaxes, giving a delicious, whimpery cry before going limp against them, gasping.

Chara pays attention to his SOUL this time, and they see a faint, red glow surround the SOUL before it’s absorbed into the white heart.

“Fascinating.” They murmur, inspecting the heart for any noticeable changes.

Nothing else appears to be different. The Fracture is the same. But there’s a haziness in his thinking that they can sense through the SOUL.

“...Chara…”

“How are you feeling?” They ask, a bit distractedly.

“..Chara, i…” He sits up, struggling a little at first before managing to get his knees to straddle their lap. He braces his head against their shoulder, his breath falling onto their neck.

They return his soul, shivering. “I see you’re a bit excited.” They purr, wrapping their arms around him.

He kisses the sensitive skin in front of his mouth, nuzzling it before gently taking it between his teeth and sucking lightly. Chara lets out a pleased him, trailing their fingers along his back and tilting their head to give him better access. He runs his hands along their chest, exploring the skin delicately but with just enough pressure to be teasingly stimulating.

“Mmmn~” They moan as they lean into his touch, back arching.

Sans laps at the hickey he's left on their skin before moving his biting kisses to across their collar bone. One hand toys gently with their hair while the other slips lower down their torso. 

They squirm slightly as their breath hitches.

“is this okay, Chara?” Sans asks in a quiet murmur, fingers kneading their inner thighs.

“Yes it is~” They a say as they pull him into a kiss.

He pushes his tongue deep into their mouth, stealing their breath and shifting his hand behind their head to press them in closer.

They let out a surprised moan, and place a hand on the back of his head as well as the kiss increases in intensity. He moans softly into their mouth, fingers gently rubbing at their sex.

“Hnn~” They moan in his mouth, hips pushing forward reflexively.

He slips two fingers inside as they become wet again, moving his hand in rhythm with their body as he pulls back to let them breathe. As they gasp he moves down, leaving brief love bites down their torso as he puts his head between their legs and starts lapping deeply. 

Their back arches with a moan, hips bucking. He bobs his head in time with the spastic movement, pushing his tongue in deeply and sucking gently to bring them over.

He gives a cry of surprise as Chara suddenly grabs his shoulders, pulling him into a kiss as they push him onto his back, hand teasing his pelvis. “Can’t forget about you darling~”

He bites his knuckles, whimpering and feeling his already exhausted body shudder. “y-you scared me.”

“Apologies darling~” They coo as they kiss his neck, and down his ribs.

He shivers, eyelights still slightly glassy and he wraps his arms around their neck, moaning their name.

They work their way to his pelvis, licking gently. His moans are soft as they work on him, but only because of his exhaustion. His weak stamina doesn’t allow him to last long. “i..i-i’m g..g-gonna…” Is all he gets out before his back arches sharply and he gives a cry.

They work him through the aftershocks before holding him in their arms. “You did good darling~ are you feeling awake enough to finish me off or no?” 

He gives an exhausted nod, squirming to try and put himself back between their legs.

They let him move down, moaning as he goes back to lapping between their legs, their back arching as they moan. Sans is slower now, noticeably so, and he stops once or twice, as if momentarily confused or even drifting off for a few seconds. But he shakes himself out of it persistently until he brings them to climax.

They come with a cry. Sans slowly rolls out from between their legs and onto the mattress before passing out.

Chara chuckles and starts redressing themselves when they hear their phone ding.

**Falena:** _ Enjoy the honeymoon phase while it lasts.  _

**Me:** _ Enjoyed the show did we? _

The camera in the corner of the room gives a beep.

**Falena:** _As always._ _And these are recorded, by the way. In case you ever have thoughts about cutting funds to my lab again >8( How much do you know about one way SOUL bonds?_

 **Me:** _Shockingly a lot less than originally thought._

**Falena:** _ Unsurprising. But expect him to be either clingier or impossibly distant.  _

**Me:** _Noted._

**Falena:** _ Enjoy your pancakes. _

There's a knock at the door. 

**Me:** _Don’t you have work to do Fae?_

**Falena:** _ Am I the royal scientist? Oh. No. I'm not. Hmm. Interesting, that. _

**Me** :  _ Surely “assistants” such as yourself have “assisting” to do. _

**Falena:** _ hol _

**Me:** ???

**Falena:** _ ‘lol’ is ‘laughing out loud’, correct? I believe you can guess what the ‘h’ substitute stands for _

**Me:** _...helping out loud??_

**Falena:** _...hissing, Chickadee. Hissing out loud. _

**Me:** _... Right, well, since you obviously have nothing better to do, could I ask a favor?_

Chara puts the phone down as their magic unlocks the door. “Sorry, come in.” Chara calls, throwing the blanket over Sans to obscure his tiny naked body.  
The servant opens up the door and pulls in the breakfast tray with a polite, “Good morning, your Majesty.” They uncover the dishes and plate the pancakes, setting up the correct amount of syrup and butter that they’ve learned Chara likes before handing them the plate, “Will that be all, my Prinx?”

“Leave some syrup and butter for Sans, other than that, you may go. Thank you.” They say politely as their phone dings.

Nodding, the servant leaves and Chara picks up their phone.

**Falena:** _ Perhaps. What sort of ‘favor’ _

**Me:** _I will text you the specifics once I’m done eating. You may standby until then._

**Falena:** _ Don’t hold your breath. _

**Me:** _Like you are busy._

Falena doesn’t respond. Sans starts to stir at the smell of food.

“Welcome back to the world darling.” Chara says, amused as they begin to eat.

Silently Sans sits up, blinking at their plate of food and scooting in closer.

They hand him his plate and gesture to the syrup and butter. “All yours.” They offer.

Sans nods at them and folds his legs underneath himself, digging in wordlessly and shoveling the food into his mouth.

“Been awhile since you’ve eaten?” They question with a smirk.

“eating you out isn’t very nutritious, no.”

“Fair enough.”

Sans resumes eating until his plate is clear, and then lays back down, closer to Chara than he normally does. They finish theirs a few minutes later, and take out their cell and punching in their request, before laying back down next to Sans.

“...it didn’t heal did it.”

“Hmm?” They question.

“...my Fracture. it didn’t heal.” 

“Well, it is still rather fresh. It was worth a shot though.” They say with a shrug.

Sans rubs at his chest, taking in a shuddering breath and closing his eyes. “..i’m not mad.” He answers the question Chara had been silently asking themselves, causing them to look at him in surprise. Had they asked out loud? ...no. Hm. 

“i don’t blame you. for taking advantage. i mean. i was basically begging you. can’t think of why you’d say no. there’d have been no benefit to you. so.” 

“To be fair, there was a chance it would heal, just smaller since I’m the one handling your soul.”

“and you knew that for certain?”

No. “Yes.” They lie.

Sans doesn't believe them for a second. “okay.” He stares up at the ceiling. “..thanks for trying.”


	20. Some Good News and Some Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some bad things happen, but so does a small victory.

 

Sans was avoiding them.

He still came in for his shifts, of course. That was the only time Chara saw him, though. And for three hours at a time. Once it hit 12:00pm exactly he was out of there. Chara would have suspected he was teleporting if not for the amulet, and having watched him closely yesterday to make doubly sure that he walked out.

He still worked overtime, but no longer in his usual spot in the library. Chara was having a hard time tracking down his new paperwork places. Once they found him in one, he would never be there again. He’d humor conversation for maybe a few minutes at a time whenever they managed to nab him but...even Chara had a hard time staying remotely entertained. And there were always people around, so they couldn’t threaten him.

“Ah, there you are Sans. How are you doing?” 

“...your Majesty. hello. i’m fine. and you?”

“Fine, thank you. Come with me. There is something I want to discuss with you.” They try.

“is it important? i’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Chara resists the urge to scowl. “Of course it is important. Why else would I bother you?”

Sans shrugs and stands up from his seat, taking his time sorting his paperwork into several different color coded folders.

“Today, Sans.” They say impatiently.

He tucks the folders under his arms and stands waiting for their next order. They’re both already getting a couple strange looks from passers-by.

“Come on.” They murmur, leading him out of the room.

He follows silently, not even bothering to try and keep up conversation for appearances.

They lead him to their study, pulling him in roughly and closing the door. “Why are you avoiding me?”

Sans shuffles in place, gripping his folders tightly. “...it’s uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable? You have felt worse around me have you not?”

He shrugs.

“Should I punish you?”

“for breaking what rule?”

“Why should I let my experiment ignore and avoid me?” 

“..don’t. don’t call me that. please. i’ve been showing up to my shifts. i’ve been doing what you ask. there’s nothing wrong with that. you asked me to come with you. i  _ did _ . what...wh-what more do you want?”

“I'm tired of searching the palace for you.”

“..okay, Chara. i’ll stop, okay? i’ll go back to the library.”

“No more avoiding me. Got it?”

“yes Chara. can i go now?”

“What’s the hurry?”

“is there something you needed?”

“Perhaps there is. But first, answer the question.”

“....” Sans takes a slow breath, “i...did some studying. on...SOUL bonds.”

“Oh? And what did you find out?”

“i found out i shouldn’t have let you touch my SOUL.” 

“And why is that?”

Sans glances aside. “...if someone you really trusted and cared about hit you, how would you feel?”

“Surprised, but it would probably be deserved.” They admit.

He rolls his eyes subtly, “right. you barely have emotions.” He mumbles. “..well. i’m bound to you. even closer than i was after you raped me. and every time you hurt me, it damages my SOUL twice as much.”

“Fascinating. Go on.”

“...’go on’ what?” Sans asks. “what more is there to say? that’s why i’ve been avoiding you.”

“You said you were studying it. I thought you would just know more. Besides, why would you risk hiding from me when I can hurt you twice as much now?” They ask, crossing their arms.

Sans tenses, backing away from them.

They step closer. “What did you hope to gain from avoiding me anyway? Did you really think I would let you get away with it?”

“i don’t know.” Sans’s back hits the wall and he feels his breath catch as his eyelights shrink.

“You are never one to think are you?” They sneer. “You have only succeeded in angering me.”

“i’m sorry.”

They step closer. “Are you really?”

Sans drops to his knees, holding his hands over his chest. “don’t fracture me any more. please. i’m sorry. i won’t do it anymore.” 

They grab his arm tightly, lifting him to his feet. “Surely I have to teach you a lesson hmm?”

Sans shuts his eyes tightly, breathing faster and trying to say something. But words refuse to come out of his mouth. It’s like he can’t spare air for anything but breathing.

They drop him, smirking. “Thought so. As punishment, you are no longer allowed to see your brother.”

He looks up, SOUL dropping into his feet. “no. please. a-anything else. Chara, p-please i need him.” 

“Since you are so keen on avoiding, I imagine it won’t be too hard to avoid him.”

“don’t. don’t do this t-to me,  _ please _ !”

“If I find out you have broken your punishment, I will kill him.” They threaten. “And save over it.”

His eyelights flicker out and he sits back heavily against the wall.

“I’ll be moving your room to be next to mine, so you don’t happen to run into him.” Chara adds, pulling out their phone and texting the order to move Sans’s things to his room.

“f-for how long?”

“Indefinitely.”

Sans grips his chest, swallowing tightly and sinking lower against the wall.  _ ‘Paps i’m sorry.’ _

“..c..c-can i earn it back?” He asks in a hoarse voice.

“Not sure how, but you can try.” They say as they walk away. “My office first thing. Oh!” They turn around abruptly. “One text is all you’re allowed.” They say before turning around again and walking away.

Sans buries his face in his hands, breathing heavily into his palms. No. No no no no no…

 

 **me:** _hey bro sorry about this but im gonna be rlly busy these next couple of weeks, maybe longer. i’m not gonna be able to see you or really even text much. but i love you okay? i love you a lot. dont 4get that. gbye bro_

**my cool bro:** _ I LOVE YOU TOO BROTHER! BUT WHY WILL YOU BE TOO BUSY TO EVEN TEXT ME? _

**my cool bro:** _ SANS? _

**my cool bro:** _ BROTHER? _

**me:** [ _ Auto Reply _ ]  _ You have been blocked. _

**my cool bro:** ... _ SANS..? _

 

Chara is waiting in their office the next morning. “You’re two minutes late.” They criticize.

Sans looks at the time on his phone. “.....i’m sorry. i thought i was early.” 

“I said first thing in the morning. Early is relative is it not?”

“y..y-you said first thing. i thought you meant the start of my shift. i’m sorry.” 

They hand him a stack of paperwork. “In two hours meet me in 202, got it?”

Sans nods, taking the sheets and sitting down on the floor by the door to their office.

They smirk at him, before turning back to their desk.

 

After an hour and forty-five minutes, Sans gets up and sets the finished paperwork on their table before turning and leaving the room.

_ Stage two of isolation plan: Complete. _ Chara writes, smirking at the page.

_ Stage Three begins… _

  
  


Sans is sitting on the bed of 202 when they arrive, staring at the floor silently.

“Greetings.” They say as they close the door behind them.

“hi.” His voice is strained.

“Strip and lay down.” They order.

Sans obeys, taking off his jacket and setting it aside before shedding his shirt and shorts and laying back on the bed. He’s far past modesty at this point.

“So, how was your night?” They ask as they shed their outer robe, lying next to him.

“i had nightmares.” 

“What about?”

“everything.” 

“You don’t want to talk about it?” They ask with a smirk as they trail their finger along his ribs.

“dreamt about Gaster coming back. dreamt about you killing Papyrus and saving. dreamt about Papyrus leaving a hundred voicemails that i couldn’t respond to because my voice didn’t work. dreamt about Falena putting spiders in my sockets. dreamt about you pulling me to pieces in front of everybody in the castle and nobody even looked up from their paperwork no matter how loud i screamed.” Sans drones on in monotone.

“I like that last one.” They chuckle.

He says nothing. 

Their hand traces down his sternum, to his spine, before trailing up into his chest. His SOUL is a very dim grey and he gives no reaction to their touches. They chuckle, and trails their hand down once more, teasing his spine. He makes a noise like a feeble grunt. They move their hand to his pelvis, circling teasingly.

“hh-hf.”

They look up and see his chin trembling and his eyes tightly closed.

“Are you resisting?” They ask, amused.

He doesn't respond but his chest gives a threatening shudder.

“Is your SOUL hurting?”

He nods. 

“You don’t want me here?”

He shakes his head. 

They kiss his cheek. “Suck it up.”

“ _ h-hic _ ..” He covers his mouth, eyes shutting tightly again. 

“Ohh.” They coo, caressing his cheek. “Poor thing~”

He turns his head away, sitting up. 

“Where are you going?” They ask, pulling him back down and pulling him close.

Sans takes in a deep breath. “...i need a second.”

“A second of what?”

“of pulling myself together.” Sans says, dragging his hands down his face, “i know you’d probably love it if i started sobbing all over you but seems a shame to get that nice robe all soaked, so…”

Chara chuckles. “Very well.” They say, allowing him up.

He crosses his legs underneath him as he sits up, closing his eyes and resting his knuckles in front of his teeth as he takes deep breaths in and out. Papyrus would be strong. Papyrus would want  _ Sans _ to be strong. Besides, quitting this early just means the tortures will get worse. He’s got be persistent.

_ ‘i’ll see Paps again. even if it’s not for a while. he’s doin’ fine. he’s happy in the royal guard. probably confused as all hell that i had to block him, but he’ll be fine. better than fine, probably. he’s happy. he’s cooking, training, making new friends. if Papyrus is happy, i can be happy too.’ _ He lets out the breath slowly.  _ ‘besides. i still got stuff to do. can’t waste time moping _ .’

“...’kay. i’m good.” He announces, lowering his hands and laying back again.

They rub his chest gently “Better?” They ask.

“i mean i’m still not remotely horny but i’m not gonna cry.”

They chuckle. “I can fix that.” They murmur as they continue to tease is ribs.

“meh.” Sans sighs. “if you want oral sex just say so. i’m not really in the mood for it myself.”

They chuckle. “Very well.”

Almost happily Sans sits up, turning on his knees to face them and pulling their skirt and underwear down, “oh come on.” He mumbles at the sex they've formed this time, “can't you do the other one?”

“‘The other one’?”

“whatever it’s called.” 

“You prefer my vagina?” They ask with a chuckle.

“yeah. that thing.” 

“I'm in the mood to have a penis.” They say, reclining. “Get to work.”

Sans sighs, shifting his jaw and opening his mouth, taking their length inside and licking at it as he shuts one eye, choking a bit.

They moan, thrusting their hips up. “Oooh it’s been a while~”

Sans chokes and pulls back, coughing.

“Did I say you could stop?”

“you're choking me-”

They sit up, and push his skull back down, moaning. Sans struggles, bracing his hands against the mattress and trying to pull back. But their magic is far stronger than him and keeps him in place as they grind into his mouth. 

“Ahhn hnng~” They moan, their thrusts getting faster as their arousal grows. Sans continues fighting, struggling to breathe and nearly passing out, but Chara climaxes and releases him and he falls back, rolling onto his stomach and gasping for air as cum drips from his mouth.

“You need practice, but not bad.” Chara says in amusement.

He glares weakly at them, standing up and grabbing his shorts, yanking them on. 

“Going to pout now?” They ask mockingly.

Sans takes in a deep breath, closing his eyes. “trying not to.” 

“How come?” They ask with a smirk.

“i’m trying to be good, Chara.”

“Fighting me is not good.”

“i’m sorry.” Sans mumbles, digging out his phone as it starts beeping. “...my checkup with Kennie is in five minutes.” 

They nod. “Go on then.”

Sans gets redressed quickly and heads out, rushing down to the infirmary. He double checks that the note he’s written previously is in his inside pocket before stepping in. “Kennie.” He calls.

Kennie comes out of the back room, giving him a small smile. “Good afternoon.” She greets. “Here for your checkup right?”

“yeah.” Sans holds out his hand, the note tucked up against his palm, “handshake? to test my strength of grip?” 

“That’s not a requirement, but alright.” She says with a curious look, holding out her hand.

Sans smiles, and slips the note into her paw as they shake, “mind if i pop in and visit your mom real quick before you put me in one of those sexy gowns?”

She snorts. “Sure.” She says, palming the note, curious at the secrecy but respecting it.

Sans nods, heading into Sirona’s room and sitting down on the chair beside her bed. “hey.” He says gently, tapping her hand. “you up?” 

“Yeah, I'm up.” She says, shifting til she is sitting up. She smiles at him as she takes his hand. 

He smiles back, “hey. you’re lookin’ better every day. might steal my heart away from Chara if you keep this up.” He jokes. 

She laughs. “Don’t you flatter me.” She scolds lightly, before frowning. “Are... They still...?”

“hm?” Sans acts clueless as he sorts through her bookshelf lazily. “still what?” 

“Hurting you?”

Sans coughs into his fist a little, laughing, “really, Siri, you wanna talk about our kinks? seems a little improper for a sick old lady.” 

“Sans.” She says, tone serious.

“what?” 

“You came to me with a broken soul, asking for my help. I know there is nothing I-”

“where’d you hear that.” Sans asks stiffly. 

“Sans, I’m a nurse. It's my job to do thorough checks. That spell hiding it is a good one though.”

“thanks. made it myself.” 

She brings her free hand to join the other around his. “I’m worried about you.”

Sans sighs, plopping back down, “so you’re gonna cop out? because of me? hardly worth it, Siri.” He grimaces, feeling that he’s going in the wrong direction. “...look. only you..” No. Also the wrong direction. “...Mari’s coming for a visit.” 

“Mari? What’s the occasion? How do you know her?” Sirona asks curiously.

“long story.” Sans answers the door as Kennie stops by to silently hand him some tea, and he takes it over to the elder cat. “just promise me you’ll hang on long enough to when she gets here, okay? it’ll give you something to keep trying for.” 

Sirona nods. “It has been a while since I’ve seen her. Her soul ceremony with her husband was the last time I saw her I think.” She smiles. “I’m proud of her.”

“she’s a good kit.” Sans hums, helping her to sit up straighter and putting her tray in her lap before setting the tea down. “okay. drink up, get some rest. alright?” 

She nods, and starts drinking her tea. “Thank you. And stay safe, alright?”

“yes ma’am.” Sans gives her a salute and walks back into the infirmary, “hey Kennie.” He sits down on the bed as she hands him the gown, “you guys  _ do  _ do ultrasounds here, right?” 

She nods. “Of course.”

“cool. make sure your mom is in here when you do it, okay? i know this all seems real creepy of me but you gotta trust me.” 

“If you insist.” She says with a chuckle, turning around politely as Sans undresses and gets into the gown.

“i do.” Sans affirms, sitting back down as he sets his folded clothes aside, “when’s the soonest she can get here?” 

“Tomorrow.”

Sans smiles, lying down and sighing contentedly. “good.”

 

The next day, in the evening, Chara walks down the hall towards their room, and they hear laughter coming from the infirmary. Curious, they move in closer and peek through the door. Sirona’s family is in there, Mari, her husband, Kennie, and the elder cat herself. She’s in tears, tightly hugging her eldest daughter. She’s standing on her own, without assistance. When she opens her eyes to wipe at them, there’s no more sign of hopelessness or despair.

She’s no longer falling. 

Chara puts on a smile, and waves as they pass. The family doesn't even notice them. “Hmm.” Chara says, before continuing. How interesting.

They make their way to Sans’s new room. He’s organizing his bookshelf, and he nods at them in greeting as they enter.

“Not bad.” They say, looking around. “What brought this on?”

“figured leaving all my stuff in a pile by the door wasn't welcoming.” 

“I expected a pile inside the door.” They say with a chuckle.

“well i assume i’m gonna be here for awhile. so i might as well get comfy.”

“You assume correctly.”

Sans nods, “something you wanted?” 

“Just checking in. How did your checkup go?”

“went fine.” 

“She cleared you?”

“yeah.” Sans makes zero effort to keep up conversation, moving over to his new desk and clearing a space for a stack of tomorrow’s paperwork. 

“Did you get a chance to speak to Sirona?”

“yeah. i’ve been visiting her.” 

“How is she doing?”

“better, hopefully.” Sans sits down at the desk, “i had Kennie bring Mari down and do an ultrasound. i figured knowing she had grandkids on the way would give her  a reason to not fall.” 

“I did think it strange to see Mari here. How do you know her?”

“i’ve lived through a million timelines is probably the reason. whether i want to or not i memorize certain things. like the fact that she gives birth three months from now. i didn’t want Sirona to fall so i intervened.” 

“I see.”

“anything else, Majesty?” Sans asks, sounding a little annoyed with their continued presence. 

“You are not permitted to see or talk to them again.” Chara says, crossing their arms.

“okay.” Sans crosses over to his nightstand, pulling out the bottle of sleep solution from the drawer and readying himself a dose. “goodnight then.” 

“... Not going to plead?”

“for what?” Sans gives them a quizzical look. 

“Not even going to protest? They must not be all that close to you.”

“no, not really. no one is except Papyrus and you already banned me from seeing him.” Sans lies down in bed, “anyway, it's really obvious you're doing an isolation experiment. i got done what i wanted to with Sirona before you started enforcing it, so that's all i care about.” 

Chara narrows their eyes. “Have your read my journal again?”

“no. you're just really unsubtle.”

They scoff. “And you are not going to react at all?”

“wouldn't that be ‘bad’ of me? you want your results. i can just go ahead and  _ tell  _ you that i’ll just be lonely and depressed but that's not going to change anything. so i’m just adapting and accepting my fate.” He rolls over and looks at them, “is that too boring?” 

“What an interesting strategy.” They say cooly. “Let's see how long it lasts.” They turn and exit the room. They take out their phone.

**Me:** _ Fae, still have the footage saved? _

**Falena:** _ Yes. What do you want me to do with it?  _

**Me:** _ Still in good graces with that news company? _

**Falena:** _They still cower at my threats if that's what you mean._ _Irrelevant, however. I can see where this is going. When do you want it released?_

 **Me:** _Soon._

**Falena:** _ As delighted as it probably made you to type out such a singular, dramatic word, I'm going to need more particulars. _

**Me:** _tomorrow should be fine._

**Falena:** _ See you on the news then, Chickadee. _

**Me:** _ Let me know if you like what you see ;) _


End file.
